Show that you understand the current state of research on your topic.
The length of a research proposal can vary quite a bit. A bachelor’s or master’s thesis proposal can be just a few pages, while proposals for PhD dissertations or research funding are usually much longer and more detailed. Your supervisor can help you determine the best length for your work.
One trick to get started is to think of your proposal’s structure as a shorter version of your thesis or dissertation , only without the results , conclusion and discussion sections.
Download our research proposal template
Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We’ve included a few for you below.
Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes:
The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project. Make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why.
Your introduction should:
To guide your introduction , include information about:
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As you get started, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review shows your reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory. It also shows that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said, but rather using existing research as a jumping-off point for your own.
In this section, share exactly how your project will contribute to ongoing conversations in the field by:
Following the literature review, restate your main objectives . This brings the focus back to your own project. Next, your research design or methodology section will describe your overall approach, and the practical steps you will take to answer your research questions.
? or ? , , or research design? | |
, )? ? | |
, , , )? | |
? |
To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential implications of your research for your field. Emphasize again what you aim to contribute and why it matters.
For example, your results might have implications for:
Last but not least, your research proposal must include correct citations for every source you have used, compiled in a reference list . To create citations quickly and easily, you can use our free APA citation generator .
Some institutions or funders require a detailed timeline of the project, asking you to forecast what you will do at each stage and how long it may take. While not always required, be sure to check the requirements of your project.
Here’s an example schedule to help you get started. You can also download a template at the button below.
Download our research schedule template
Research phase | Objectives | Deadline |
---|---|---|
1. Background research and literature review | 20th January | |
2. Research design planning | and data analysis methods | 13th February |
3. Data collection and preparation | with selected participants and code interviews | 24th March |
4. Data analysis | of interview transcripts | 22nd April |
5. Writing | 17th June | |
6. Revision | final work | 28th July |
If you are applying for research funding, chances are you will have to include a detailed budget. This shows your estimates of how much each part of your project will cost.
Make sure to check what type of costs the funding body will agree to cover. For each item, include:
To determine your budget, think about:
If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
Methodology
Statistics
Research bias
Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement .
Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.
I will compare …
A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.
Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.
A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.
A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.
A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.
All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.
Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.
Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.
The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
McCombes, S. & George, T. (2023, November 21). How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved June 27, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-proposal/
Other students also liked, how to write a problem statement | guide & examples, writing strong research questions | criteria & examples, how to write a literature review | guide, examples, & templates, what is your plagiarism score.
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Conducting UX research without a plan is like moving to another country without knowing the language—confusing and exhausting.
To avoid wasting time and resources, it’s crucial to set achievable research goals and work on developing a research plan that’s clear, comprehensive, and aligned with your overarching business goals and research strategy.
A good UX research plan sets out the parameters for your research, and guides how you’ll gather insights to inform product development. In this chapter, we share a step-by-step guide to creating a research plan, including templates and tactics for you to try. You’ll also find expert tips from Paige Bennett, Senior User Research Manager at Affirm, and Sinéad Davis Cochrane, Research Manager at Workday.
A UX research plan—not to be confused with a UX research strategy or research design—is a plan to guide individual user experience (UX) research projects.
It's a living document that includes a detailed explanation of tactics, methods, timeline, scope, and task owners. It should be co-created and shared with key stakeholders, so everyone is familiar with the project plan, and product teams can meet strategic goals.
A UX research plan is different to a research strategy and research design in both its purpose and contents. Let’s take a look.
While your UX research plan should be based on strategy, it’s not the same thing. Your UX strategy is a high-level document that contains goals, budget, vision, and expectations. Meanwhile, a plan is a detailed document explaining how the team will achieve those strategic goals. Research design is the form your research itself takes.
In short, a strategy is a guide, a plan is what drives action, and design is the action itself.
Research design | to be employed and specifics on how they’ll be used in the study (e.g., qualitative interviews, quantitative surveys, experimental trials) that will assist in data collection (sampling size) and how they will be selected | |
---|---|---|
Research plan | or goals of the research that will be used to gather and analyze data of the project (like budget and personnel) required | |
Research strategy |
Conducting research without goals and parameters is aimless. A UX research plan is beneficial for your product, user, and business—by building a plan for conducting UX research, you can:
Work toward specific, measurable goals, align and engage stakeholders, save time by avoiding rework.
The structure of a research plan allows you to set timelines, expectations, and task owners, so everyone on your team is aligned and empowered to make decisions. Since there’s no second guessing what to do next or which methods to use, you’ll find your process becomes simpler and more efficient. It’s also worth standardizing your process to turn your plan into a template that you can reuse for future projects.
When you set research goals based on strategy, you’ll find it easier to track your team’s progress and keep the project in scope, on time, and on budget. With a solid, strategy-based UX research plan you can also track metrics at different stages of the project and adjust future tactics to get better research findings.
“It’s important to make sure your stakeholders are on the same page with regards to scope, timeline, and goals before you start," explains Paige Bennett, Senior User Research Manager at Affirm. That's because, when stakeholders are aligned, they're much more likely to sign off on product changes that result from UX research.
A written plan is a collaborative way to involve stakeholders in your research and turn them into active participants rather than passive observers. As they get involved, they'll make useful contributions and get a better understanding of your goals.
A UX research plan helps you save time and money quite simply because it’s easier and less expensive to make design or prototype changes than it is to fix usability issues once the product is coded or fully launched. Additionally, having a plan gives your team direction, which means they won’t be conducting research and talking to users without motive, and you’ll be making better use of your resources. What’s more, when everyone is aligned on goals, they’re empowered to make informed decisions instead of waiting for their managers’ approval.
In French cuisine, the concept of mise en place—putting in place—allows chefs to plan and set up their workspace with all the required ingredients before cooking. Think of your research plan like this—laying out the key steps you need to go through during research, to help you run a successful and more efficient study.
Here’s what you should include in a UX research plan:
Use Maze to run quantitative and qualitative research, influence product design, and shape user-centered products.
Now we’ve talked through why you need a research plan, let’s get into the how. Here’s a short step-by-step guide on how to write a research plan that will drive results.
One of the most important purposes of a research plan is to identify what you’re trying to achieve with the research, and clarify the problem statement. For Paige Bennett , Senior User Research Manager at Affirm, this process begins by sitting together with stakeholders and looking at the problem space.
“We do an exercise called FOG, which stands for ‘Fact, Observation, Guess’, to identify large gaps in knowledge,” says Paige. “Evaluating what you know illuminates questions you still have, which then serves as the foundation of the UX research project.”
You can use different techniques to identify the problem statement, such as stakeholder interviews, team sessions, or analysis of customer feedback. The problem statement should explain what the project is about—helping to define the research scope with clear deliverables and objectives.
Research objectives need to align with the UX strategy and broader business goals, but you also need to define specific targets to achieve within the research itself—whether that’s understanding a specific problem, or measuring usability metrics . So, before you get into a room with your users and customers, “Think about the research objectives: what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and what you expect from the UX research process ,” explains Sinéad Davis Cochrane , Research Manager at Workday.
Examples of research objectives might be:
A valuable purpose of setting objectives is ensuring your project doesn't suffer from scope creep. This can happen when stakeholders see your research as an opportunity to ask any question. As a researcher , Sinéad believes your objectives can guide the type of research questions you ask and give your research more focus. Otherwise, anything and everything becomes a research question—which will confuse your findings and be overwhelming to manage.
Sinéad shares a list of questions you should ask yourself and the research team to help set objectives:
Another useful exercise to help identify research objectives is by asking questions that help you get to the core of a problem. Ask these types of questions before starting the planning process:
It’s good practice to involve stakeholders at early stages of plan creation to get everyone on board. Sharing your UX research plan with relevant stakeholders means you can gather context, adjust based on comments, and gauge what’s truly important to them. When you present the research plan to key stakeholders, remember to align on the scope of research, and how and when you’ll get back to them with results.
Stakeholders usually have a unique vision of the product, and it’s crucial that you’re able to capture it early on—this doesn’t mean saying yes to everything, but listening to their ideas and having a conversation. Seeing the UX research plan as a living document makes it much easier to edit based on team comments. Plus, the more you listen to other ideas, the easier it will be to evangelize research and get stakeholder buy-in by helping them see the value behind it.
I expect my stakeholders to be participants, and I outline how I expect that to happen. That includes observing interviews, participating in synthesis exercises, or co-presenting research recommendations.
Paige Bennett , Senior User Research Manager at Affirm
Choose between the different UX research methods to capture different insights from users.
To define the research methods you’ll use, circle back to your research objectives, what stage of the product development process you’re in, and the constraints, resources, and timeline of the project. It’s good research practice to use a mix of different methods to get a more complete perspective of users’ struggles.
For example, if you’re at the start of the design process, a generative research method such as user interviews or field studies will help you generate new insights about the target audience. Or, if you need to evaluate how a new design performs with users, you can run usability tests to get actionable feedback.
It’s also good practice to mix methods that drive quantitative and qualitative results so you can understand context, and catch the user sentiment behind a metric. For instance, if during a remote usability test, you hear a user go ‘Ugh! Where’s the sign up button?’ you’ll get a broader perspective than if you were just reviewing the number of clicks on the same test task.
Examples of UX research methods to consider include:
Check out our top UX research templates . Use them as a shortcut to get started on your research.
Every research plan should include information about the participants you need for your study, and how you’ll recruit them. To identify your perfect candidate, revisit your goals and the questions that need answering, then build a target user persona including key demographics and use cases. Consider the resources you have available already, by asking yourself:
When selecting participants, make sure they represent all your target personas. If different types of people will be using a certain product, you need to make sure that the people you research represent these personas. This means not just being inclusive in your recruitment, but considering secondary personas—the people who may not be your target user base, but interact with your product incidentally.
You should also consider recruiting research participants to test the product on different devices. Paige explains: “If prior research has shown that behavior differs greatly between those who use a product on their phone versus their tablet, I need to better understand those differences—so I’m going to make sure my participants include people who have used a product on both devices.”
During this step, make sure to include information about the required number of participants, how you’ll get them to participate, and how much time you need per user. The main ways to recruit testers are:
You should always reward your test participants for their time and insights. Not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because if they have an incentive they’re more likely to give you complete and insightful answers. If you’re hosting the studies in person, you’ll also need to cover your participants' travel expenses and secure a research space. Running remote moderated or unmoderated research is often considered to be less expensive and faster to complete.
If you’re testing an international audience, remember to check your proposed payment system works worldwide—this might be an Amazon gift card or prepaid Visa cards.
The next component of a research plan is to create a brief or guide for your research sessions. The kind of brief you need will vary depending on your research method, but for moderated methods like user interviews, field studies, or focus groups, you’ll need a detailed guide and script. The brief is there to remind you which questions to ask and keep the sessions on track.
Your script should cover:
It’s crucial you remember to ask participants for their consent. You should do this at the beginning of the test by asking if they’re okay with you recording the session. Use this space to lay out any compensation agreements as well. Then, ask again at the end of the session if they agree with you keeping the results and using the data for research purposes. If possible, explain exactly what you’ll do with their data. Double check and get your legal team’s sign-off on these forms.
Next in your plan, estimate how long the research project will take and when you should expect to review the findings. Even if not exact, determining an approximate timeline (e.g., two-three weeks) will enable you to manage stakeholders’ expectations of the process and results.
Many people believe UX research is a lengthy process, so they skip it. When you set up a timeline and get stakeholders aligned with it, you can debunk assumptions and put stakeholders’ minds at ease. Plus, if you’re using a product discovery tool like Maze, you can get answers to your tests within days.
When it comes to sharing your findings with your team, presentation matters. You need to make a clear presentation and demonstrate how user insights will influence design and development. If you’ve conducted UX research in the past, share data that proves how implementing user insights has improved product adoption.
Examples of ways you can present your results include:
In your plan, mention how you’ll share insights with the product team. For example, if you’re using Maze, you can start by emailing everyone the ready-to-share report and setting up a meeting with the team to identify how to bring those insights to life. This is key, because your research should be the guiding light for new products or updates, if you want to keep development user-centric. Taking care over how you present your findings will impact whether they’re taken seriously and implemented by other stakeholders.
Whether you’re creating the plan yourself or delegating to your team, a clear UX research plan template cuts your prep time in half.
Find our customizable free UX research plan template here , and keep reading for a filled-in example.
Now, let’s go through how to fill out this template and create a UX research plan with an example.
Flows aims to increase user adoption and tool engagement by 30% within the next 12 months. Our B2B project management software has been on the market for 3 years and has 25,000 active users across various industries.
By researching the current product experience with existing users, we’ll learn what works and what doesn’t in order to make adjustments to the product and experience.
Objective | Description |
---|---|
Objective 1 | Identify pain points and areas of friction in the current user experience that stop adoption and engagement |
Objective 2 | Understand how team members currently use the tool to manage projects and collaborate |
Objective 3 | Explore desired features, integrations, and capabilities to enhance productivity and team effectiveness |
The purpose is to gather actionable insights into user needs, behaviors, and challenges to inform updates that will drive increased adoption and engagement of 30% for the B2B project management tool within 12 months.
Characteristic | Details |
---|---|
Target audience | Current customers (teams) using the project management tool |
Sample size | 20 teams across different client accounts |
Scope | Full user experience from onboarding to daily use across all tool features |
Demographics | Teams of 5-15 members from industries like software, marketing, construction, and consulting |
Deliverable | Description | Deadline |
---|---|---|
Deliverable 1 | User journey maps highlighting friction points | 3 weeks after research study completion |
Deliverable 2 | Competitive analysis report | 4 weeks |
Deliverable 3 | Prioritized feature roadmap | 5 weeks |
Deliverable 4 | Final report with key findings and recommendations | 6 weeks |
Method | Reason |
---|---|
Behavioural analytics | Review product stats to uncover friction points that can inform following research |
Contextual inquiries (8 teams*): | Observe teams using the tool in their workspace |
User interviews (12 teams*) | 60-min semi-structured interviews |
Usability testing (5 teams*) | Unmoderated remote usability tests |
*Some teams will take part in more than one research session.
We are doing a mixed methods study.
User interviews are our primary method for gathering qualitative data, and will be analyzed using thematic analysis .
User interview questions:
Total estimated budget: $8,000
Item | Estimated costs | Notes |
---|---|---|
Participant incentives | $4,000 | |
Remote usability testing platform | $1,000 | |
Research tools & software | $3,000 |
Whether you’re creating the plan yourself or are delegating this responsibility to your team, here are six research templates to get started:
We all know that a robust plan is essential for conducting successful UX research. But, in case you want a quick refresher on what we’ve covered:
UX research can happen at any stage of the development lifecycle. When you build products with and for users, you need to include them continuously at various stages of the process.
It’s helpful to explore the need for continuous discovery in your UX research plan and look for a tool like Maze that simplifies the process for you. We’ll cover more about the different research methods and UX research tools in the upcoming chapters—ready to go?
Discover how Maze can streamline and operationalize your research plans to drive real product innovation while saving on costs.
What’s the difference between a UX research plan and a UX research strategy?
The difference between a UX research plan and a UX research strategy is that they cover different levels of scope and detail. A UX research plan is a document that guides individual user experience (UX) research projects. UX research plans are shared documents that everyone on the product team can and should be familiar with. A UX research strategy, on the other hand, outlines the high-level goals, expectations, and demographics of the organization’s approach to research.
What should you include in a user research plan?
Here’s what to include in a user research plan:
How do you write a research plan for UX design?
Creating a research plan for user experience (UX) requires a clear problem statement and objectives, choosing the right research method, recruiting participants and briefing them, and establishing a timeline for your project. You'll also need to plan how you'll analyze and present your findings.
How do you plan a UX research roadmap?
To plan a UX research roadmap, start by identifying key business goals and user needs. Align research activities with product milestones to ensure timely insights. Prioritize research methods—like surveys, interviews, and usability tests—based on the project phase and objectives. Set clear timelines and allocate resources accordingly. Regularly update stakeholders on progress and integrate feedback to refine the roadmap continuously.
Generative Research: Definition, Methods, and Examples
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From user personas and stakeholder analyses to a research plan sample that can help form a strong foundation for your experimentation, FigJam’s has plenty of resources to help you meet your research objectives.
Use this interactive template to collaborate with your team and create a top-notch strategic research plan that will uncover the answers you’re looking for.
Keep your team on track by agreeing on important aspects of your test and providing stakeholders with the why behind the what of your plan.
Identify important details: Define your research questions, goals, and methods from the onset to keep you focused throughout.
Set yourself up for success : Develop an outline that’ll keep you on track from start to finish.
Gather data: Create a plan that allows you to assemble and analyze the data you need to improve your users’ experience.
Work together to align your team’s ideas and goals for the ultimate research plan, complete with a clear objective, timeline, and other necessary components. Brainstorm and swap thoughts with ease, then use your insights to create a game plan that brings every research question to the real world.
With everyone on the same page—or plan—you can stay focused on a clear-cut outcome. Set your plan in motion, then use FigJam’s other templates to move forward into the next phase with ease.
Gain a better understanding of your target audience’s needs.
Identify and prioritize your stakeholders to ensure all participantsare satisfied.
Gather all the right tools to execute your plan and analyze your data.
A research plan example is a document that introduces your main question and how you intend to uncover the answer. They often include details like the surrounding context, objectives, methods, budget, timeline, and more to help you learn more about and eventually solve a customer’s pain point or an ineffective interface.
Research plans generally contain information such as:
Background information with general insights into what you already know, why you’re conducting the study, and what the problem is
The objective of your research and what you’re trying to accomplish
Research questions , both primary and secondary, to guide your experiment
The participants and recruitment methods to bring together a relevant, unbiased sample group
Your budget and timeline to plan around any logistical constraints
Intended results , describing what you hope to or anticipate finding
Out of scope elements that will not factor into your experiment
Begin by gathering your team, downloading a shareable FigJam sample research plan, and brainstorming to figure out the issues you’re trying to understand and solve. With that information, you can narrow down your team’s top suggestions to one concrete objective. Then, decide on a few select research questions that will help you achieve your research goal.
As with any good scientific process, you’ll want to thoroughly interrogate and refine your questions using insight from your entire group, until you’re confident in your main question and research method. Don’t be afraid to solicit feedback, leave comments or suggestions, and move questions around—the flexibility is part of what makes FigJam’s market research plan template so valuable to any experiment.
Explore even more templates, widgets, and plugins—all built by the Figma community.
If you are a PhD doctoral or Master’s student approaching graduation, then a large research project, dissertation, or thesis is in your future. These capstone research projects take months if not years of preparation, and the first step in this process is first writing a compelling, organized, and effective research proposal.
Check out the key differences between dissertation and thesis .
We’ve got some good and bad news for the PhD and Master’s graduate students out there.
First, the bad news. Research proposals are not easy to write. They require lots of preparation and planning. They can also seem to be an administrative task, with your PhD advisors constantly reminding you to write something that you’re not yet sure about. And of course, it’s also yet another written document that could be rejected.
Now, the good news. Research proposals help you organize and focus your research. They also eliminate irrelevant topics that your research cannot or should not cover. Further, they help signal your academic superiors (professors, advisors, scientific community) that your research is worth pursuing.
Research proposal checklists go one step further. A research proposal checklist helps you identify what you will research, why it is important and relevant, and how you will perform the research.
This last part is critical. Research proposals are often rejected for not being feasible or being unfocused. But an organized research or thesis proposal checklist can help you stay on topic.
This article goes into the following topics about research proposal checklists:
Research proposals are documents that propose a research project in the sciences or academic fields and request funding or sponsorship.
The primary objective is to convince others that you have a worthwhile research project as well as an organized plan to accomplish it.
A main purpose of a research plan is to clearly state the central research topic or question that you intend to research while providing a solid background of your particular area of research.
Your research proposal must contain a quick summary of the current literature , including gaps in your research area’s knowledge base as well as areas of controversy, which together demonstrate your proposal is relevant, timely, and worth pursuing.
But what functions does a research proposal perform?:
An effective research proposal should answer the following questions:
A compelling research proposal should answer the following questions:
A feasible research proposal should answer the following questions:
Use this research proposal example checklist as an aid to draft your own research proposal. This can help you decide what information to include and keep your ideas logically structured.
Remember, if your research proposal cannot effectively answer every single question below, then you may want to consult your advisor. It doesn’t mean your chosen research topic is bad; it just means certain areas may need some additional focus.
Click here for the full Research Proposal Example Checklist in .pdf form
The title of your research proposal must attract the reader’s eye, be descriptive of the research question, and be understandable for both casual and academic readers.
The title of your research proposal should do the following:
The introduction typically begins with a general overview of your research field, focusing on a specific research problem or question. This is followed by an explanation of why the study should be conducted.
The introduction of your research proposal should answer the following questions:
Your proposal’s introduction section should also clearly communicate why your research is significant, relevant, timely, and valid.
To effectively confirm the significance of your proposal, make sure your study accomplishes the following:
In the literature review section, you should provide a review of the current state of the literature as well as provide a summary of the results generated by your research. Determine relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research to support your research claim.
State an overview and significance of your primary resources and provide a critical analysis highlighting what those sources lack and future directions for research.
Following the literature review, it is a good idea to restate your main objectives, bringing the focus back to your own project. The research design or methodology section should describe the overall approach and practical steps you will take to answer your research questions.
To help you write a clear and structured methodology, use your plan and answer the following issues. This will give you an outline to follow and keep you on track when writing this section of your research proposal.
Additionally, explain how your results will be processed:
Read about how to explain research methods clearly for reproducibility .
Your discussion and conclusion section has an important purpose: to persuade the reader of your proposed research study’s potential impact. This section should also directly address potential weaknesses and criticisms put forth by other researchers and academics.
Although it comes at the end, your reference section is vital and will be carefully scrutinized. It should include all sources of information you used to support your research, and it should be in the correct citation format.
Use the Wordvice APA Citation Generator to instantly generate citations in APA Style, or choose one of the formats below to generate citations for the citation style of your academic work:
Although every research proposal is unique, it is a good idea to take a look at examples of research proposals before writing your initial proposal draft. This will help you understand the academic level you should aim for. Be sure to include a reference list at the end of your proposal as described above.
In addition to reading research proposal examples, you should also outline your research proposal to make sure no crucial information or research proposal sections are missing from your final manuscript. Although the sections included in a research proposal may vary depending on whether it is a grant, doctoral dissertation, conference paper, or professional project, there are many sections in common. Knowing the differences before you draft will ensure that your proposal is cohesive and thorough.
It’s vital to take the time to redraft, edit, and proofread a research proposal before submitting it to your PhD advisor or committee. Researchers and graduate students usually turn to a professional English editing service like Wordvice to improve their research writing.
Our academic services, including thesis editing , dissertation editing , and research paper editing , will fully prepare any academic document for publication in academic journals.
The User Research and Insights Tool for Design and Product Teams
Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail”. While Benjamin Franklin wasn’t talking about UX research, the statement applies.
Many researchers fail to plan because they assume they understand user research well enough to create a budget, timeline, process, and more. They conveniently forget that planning is the cornerstone of a successful project and expertise is never enough to see anything through.
Creating a UX research plan allows you to leverage multiple perspectives from project stakeholders and teammates. Stakeholders can help you understand where techniques might not work, timelines may be too tight, or budget insufficient to execute a research project.
Research planning prevents surprises that may come up along the way. It reduces cost and helps you determine how each step of the UX research will be executed to ensure success.
In this guide, we’ll lead you through the steps of creating a UX research plan. You’ll also get a free template so you can create your first research plan immediately.
UX research is the study of user interaction to obtain insights that improve the design process. UX researchers study a group of target users to collect and analyze data that leads to user-friendly products.
The primary goal of UX research is to build products for the end-user based on real data not what you think the user wants. When you conduct UX research, you can give your audience the best solutions because you know what they need.
As a UX researcher, you could begin with qualitative research methods to collect data and understand the user’s needs and motivation. Next, you use quantitative measures such as usability testing to test your hypothesis and results.
A UX research plan is a document that sets expectations and highlights the most important information you need to communicate with stakeholders in a research project. It is usually a collaboration between all stakeholders to ensure it meets the goals and objectives you’ve laid out.
A user research plan acts as a starting point to help you write easily and keep your team focused on the who, what, why, and when of a UX research project.
In most scenarios, project sponsors do not care about the process or the user research techniques you choose. They want to know what your research will achieve and how much it will cost to execute. A brief research plan lays out the objective of the research and how it will benefit product design.
A written research plan is also a great way to engage stakeholders and ensure they’re involved with the research project and the results. You’ll also be leveraging the experience of team members who’ve conducted similar research in the past.
When you write something down, it looks different from what you pictured in your head. It eliminates the risk of missing steps in the process, going above budget, or losing sight of your research objectives. Think of a research plan as a list of checkpoints to make sure you’ve achieved each goal in your research.
A research plan helps you to learn what works or doesn’t work and questions you need to be asking. As you write down your plan and process, you can find holes and improve your research plan. It makes it easier to focus and prepare for the study.
The background section should be brief. Tell stakeholders and clients about the recent history of the project, why you’re conducting the research, and what you’re going to accomplish. In a few sentences (no more than five lines of text), everyone should understand the purpose of the study.
The background section should also include the problem statement. A few ways to identify the problem statement include interviews with stakeholders, a deep analysis of the current data, or team sessions to brainstorm.
You must have an objective before getting in a room with users. The research objective drives all the research questions you’ll be asking participants during the user interview process.
Why are you conducting user research? What problems do you hope to solve? What is the end goal after completing the research?
Getting answers to these questions should be a collaborative effort between stakeholders and team members involved in the project.
Who are the stakeholders that will benefit from the results? Research project stakeholders could be employees in sales, customer support, C-level executives, or product teams.
When you’ve listed everyone you think should be involved, set up a meeting to brainstorm ideas and collect input. It’s easier to deliver the right insights when you’re involving the right stakeholders in your project.
Have any studies been done on this topic in the past? Perhaps your competitors or in-house teammates have published previous findings that will work as the basis of your research? The answers will help you determine where to begin.
If your team uses Aurelius as a research repository , you’ll be able to easily search through past research projects to quickly find information and make Cross-Project Insights and recommendations from past research with your current project.
After defining the problem and objectives, it’s time to create a participant profile. Choosing the right participants is one of the most crucial parts of a project.
When creating participant profiles start with characteristics such as occupation, age group, geography, and level of engagement with the product. Next, determine the number of participants to recruit for each UX research method.
We advise internal collaboration with all stakeholders such as sales, marketing, and customer support teams to brainstorm a hypothesis on who your ideal user is. Analyze your competitors to see what type of users they have in their audience.
If you have a database, consider looking inwards to customers who already know your product. If you don’t, use a research recruitment platform to find participants.
When recruiting externally, use a screener to hone in on your ideal participant. Is there a particular behavior you’re looking for? A qualifying action they must have taken within a specific timeframe? Do they need to be a certain age? Screeners ensure you’re bringing in the right users for your research.
How will success be determined? What criteria will you use to check milestone achievements? Examples of success metrics include:
Outlining the focus areas leads to efficient research planning. The deeper you’re able to hone in on the specific information you want to collect from the research, the more clarity you’ll have.
This is the section where you’ll write down the research questions to ask during user interviews. Start by examining what you already know about the problem such as insights from previous research . Find the knowledge gaps and create questions to answer them.
When brainstorming research questions, it’s important to determine if the goal is to create a new design or to fix an existing design.
If your objective is to build the right design, then your questions will focus on observing user behavior and leveraging mental models.
If the goal is to fix an existing design, then you’ll ask questions about usability to improve the current design. Whatever the goal is, aim for open-ended questions.
Here’s a comprehensive list of questions to ask when conducting UX research interviews
Budget plays a role in the amount of data you gather and how you conduct research. More budget equals flexibility to outsource to a dedicated recruitment service, run paid campaigns to attract more people, or even increase the incentives for participants.
More money also makes it easier to choose the right UX research methods that translate into quality insight. Conversely, with a small budget, you have to think of ways to stretch your funds such as using zoom over in-person meetings, limiting the number of research participants, or choosing inexpensive research techniques.
Having a timeline for executing the research plan lets stakeholders and clients know how long the research will take. There might be different expectations between what you think the timeline should be versus the client’s expectation.
When establishing a timeline consider the following:
The research protocol is a list of questions and tasks you’ll cover during in-person sessions. It also includes a list of research methods you’ve chosen.
A common practice is to write down the opening and closing statement of your UX interview. It begins with an explanation of the product, research objectives, and how long each interview session will take. In the end, you thank the participant for their time and answer any questions they might have.
Make sure you get feedback from stakeholders on the research questions as well as the following:
In this section, you’ll discuss the UX research methods you’ll use during the research and explain why you’ve chosen these techniques.
While there are dozens of research methods to choose from, your choices should be informed by your research questions. Some, like A/B tests and surveys, are suited for quantitative research while others like user interviews and contextual inquiries work best for qualitative research .
Learn more about how to choose a UX research method plus options to choose from during user research
Similar to research protocols, the research tools you choose should be based on your research objectives and questions.
When choosing UX research tools, consider the following:
There are different tools that fulfill each of these objectives. For example, you can recruit participants from platforms like User Interviews and Userbrain . You can build a research repository to store data and get insights with Aurelius . Tools like Optimizely and Crazy Egg are great for A/B testing.
Get a comprehensive list of UX research tools to complete each stage of the research process in this article
This is the final stage when creating a UX research plan. The insights will be determined by the goals of the research. Is the goal to improve an existing product or create a new product? Which stakeholders will need access to the result?
Make sure you document your process and include details about setbacks you faced along the way, methodologies used, and session materials. This way, your team can have an overview to look back on when conducting the next research project.
To get insight from your research data, use Aurelius to analyze dozens of notes, audio/video recordings as well as spreadsheets.
Create a new project in Aurelius, import your data from anywhere, find information quickly with Tags, search for patterns with Keywords, highlight major findings with Key Insights and make suggestions with Recommendations.
Aurelius turns your recommendations and key insights into shareable reports that you can customize as you like. You can share or present your research findings via email, a PDF, or a live link to your report.
Learn More About How Aurelius Can Help You Improve the Research Process
Asides from having a plan of action for research issues, you must have a plan for working with research participants.
A few things to do during the first interaction with research participants include:
If you feel like it’s too much information, remember that it’s better to overshare than to not give sufficient information.
Templates help you create research plans quickly. Think of it as a starting point for your research project. It includes all the essential elements you need to conduct research and communicate your findings.
Go ahead and download our free UX research plan template. Then, use the tips above to fill out the template.
Rhode island school of design, create a research plan: research plan.
A research plan is a framework that shows how you intend to approach your topic. The plan can take many forms: a written outline, a narrative, a visual/concept map or timeline. It's a document that will change and develop as you conduct your research. Components of a research plan
1. Research conceptualization - introduces your research question
2. Research methodology - describes your approach to the research question
3. Literature review, critical evaluation and synthesis - systematic approach to locating,
reviewing and evaluating the work (text, exhibitions, critiques, etc) relating to your topic
4. Communication - geared toward an intended audience, shows evidence of your inquiry
Research conceptualization refers to the ability to identify specific research questions, problems or opportunities that are worthy of inquiry. Research conceptualization also includes the skills and discipline that go beyond the initial moment of conception, and which enable the researcher to formulate and develop an idea into something researchable ( Newbury 373).
Research methodology refers to the knowledge and skills required to select and apply appropriate methods to carry through the research project ( Newbury 374) .
Method describes a single mode of proceeding; methodology describes the overall process.
Method - a way of doing anything especially according to a defined and regular plan; a mode of procedure in any activity
Methodology - the study of the direction and implications of empirical research, or the sustainability of techniques employed in it; a method or body of methods used in a particular field of study or activity *Browse a list of research methodology books or this guide on Art & Design Research
Literature Review, critical evaluation & synthesis
A literature review is a systematic approach to locating, reviewing, and evaluating the published work and work in progress of scholars, researchers, and practitioners on a given topic.
Critical evaluation and synthesis is the ability to handle (or process) existing sources. It includes knowledge of the sources of literature and contextual research field within which the person is working ( Newbury 373).
Literature reviews are done for many reasons and situations. Here's a short list:
to learn about a field of study to understand current knowledge on a subject to formulate questions & identify a research problem to focus the purpose of one's research to contribute new knowledge to a field personal knowledge intellectual curiosity | to prepare for architectural program writing academic degrees grant applications proposal writing academic research planning funding |
Sources to consult while conducting a literature review:
Online catalogs of local, regional, national, and special libraries
meta-catalogs such as worldcat , Art Discovery Group , europeana , world digital library or RIBA
subject-specific online article databases (such as the Avery Index, JSTOR, Project Muse)
digital institutional repositories such as Digital Commons @RISD ; see Registry of Open Access Repositories
Open Access Resources recommended by RISD Research LIbrarians
works cited in scholarly books and articles
print bibliographies
the internet-locate major nonprofit, research institutes, museum, university, and government websites
search google scholar to locate grey literature & referenced citations
trade and scholarly publishers
fellow scholars and peers
Communication
Communication refers to the ability to
Research plan framework: Newbury, Darren. "Research Training in the Creative Arts and Design." The Routledge Companion to Research in the Arts . Ed. Michael Biggs and Henrik Karlsson. New York: Routledge, 2010. 368-87. Print.
Except where otherwise noted, this guide is subject to a Creative Commons Attribution license
Routledge Companion to Research in the Arts
The background of the study in a research paper offers a clear context, highlighting why the research is essential and the problem it aims to address.
As a researcher, this foundational section is essential for you to chart the course of your study, Moreover, it allows readers to understand the importance and path of your research.
Whether in academic communities or to the general public, a well-articulated background aids in communicating the essence of the research effectively.
While it may seem straightforward, crafting an effective background requires a blend of clarity, precision, and relevance. Therefore, this article aims to be your guide, offering insights into:
Keeping these compelling insights in mind, let's delve deeper into the details of the empirical background of the study, exploring its definition, distinctions, and the art of writing it effectively.
The background of the study is placed at the beginning of a research paper. It provides the context, circumstances, and history that led to the research problem or topic being explored.
It offers readers a snapshot of the existing knowledge on the topic and the reasons that spurred your current research.
When crafting the background of your study, consider the following questions.
In a typical research paper structure, after presenting the background, the introduction section follows. The introduction delves deeper into the specific objectives of the research and often outlines the structure or main points that the paper will cover.
Together, they create a cohesive starting point, ensuring readers are well-equipped to understand the subsequent sections of the research paper.
While the background of the study and the introduction section of the research manuscript may seem similar and sometimes even overlap, each serves a unique purpose in the research narrative.
A well-written background of the study and introduction are preliminary sections of a research paper and serve distinct purposes.
Here’s a detailed tabular comparison between the two of them.
Aspect | Background | Introduction |
Primary purpose | Provides context and logical reasons for the research, explaining why the study is necessary. | Entails the broader scope of the research, hinting at its objectives and significance. |
Depth of information | It delves into the existing literature, highlighting gaps or unresolved questions that the research aims to address. | It offers a general overview, touching upon the research topic without going into extensive detail. |
Content focus | The focus is on historical context, previous studies, and the evolution of the research topic. | The focus is on the broader research field, potential implications, and a preview of the research structure. |
Position in a research paper | Typically comes at the very beginning, setting the stage for the research. | Follows the background, leading readers into the main body of the research. |
Tone | Analytical, detailing the topic and its significance. | General and anticipatory, preparing readers for the depth and direction of the focus of the study. |
It is necessary for you to provide your readers with the background of your research. Without this, readers may grapple with questions such as: Why was this specific research topic chosen? What led to this decision? Why is this study relevant? Is it worth their time?
Such uncertainties can deter them from fully engaging with your study, leading to the rejection of your research paper. Additionally, this can diminish its impact in the academic community, and reduce its potential for real-world application or policy influence .
To address these concerns and offer clarity, the background section plays a pivotal role in research papers.
The background of the study in research is important as it:
The journey of presenting a compelling argument begins with the background study. This section holds the power to either captivate or lose the reader's interest.
An effectively written background not only provides context but also sets the tone for the entire research paper. It's the bridge that connects a broad topic to a specific research question, guiding readers through the logic behind the study.
But how does one craft a background of the study that resonates, informs, and engages?
Here, we’ll discuss how to write an impactful background study, ensuring your research stands out and captures the attention it deserves.
The first step is to start pinpointing the specific issue or gap you're addressing. This should be a significant and relevant problem in your field.
A well-defined problem is specific, relevant, and significant to your field. It should resonate with both experts and readers.
Here’s more on how to write an effective research problem .
Here, you need to provide a broader perspective, illustrating how your research aligns with or contributes to the overarching context or the wider field of study. A comprehensive context is grounded in facts, offers multiple perspectives, and is relatable.
In addition to stating facts, you should weave a story that connects key concepts from the past, present, and potential future research. For instance, consider the following approach.
For this step, you’ll deep dive into the existing literature on the same topic. It's where you explore what scholars, researchers, and experts have already discovered or discussed about your topic.
Conducting a thorough literature review isn't just a recap of past works. To elevate its efficacy, it's essential to analyze the methods, outcomes, and intricacies of prior research work, demonstrating a thorough engagement with the existing body of knowledge.
By showcasing what's already known, you can better highlight the background of the study in research.
This step involves identifying the unexplored areas or unanswered questions in the existing literature. Your research seeks to address these gaps, providing new insights or answers.
A clear research gap shows you've thoroughly engaged with existing literature and found an area that needs further exploration.
How can you efficiently highlight the research gap?
Here, it’s all about laying out your game plan — What do you hope to achieve with your research? You need to mention a clear objective that’s specific, actionable, and directly tied to the research gap.
How to state your objectives?
This step describes your 'why'. Why is your research important? What broader implications does it have?
The significance of “why” should be both theoretical (adding to the existing literature) and practical (having real-world implications).
How do we effectively discuss the significance?
A concise summary acts as a bridge, smoothly transitioning readers from the background to the main body of the paper. This step is a brief recap, ensuring that readers have grasped the foundational concepts.
How to summarize your study?
Research and come up with real-world or hypothetical examples to clarify complex concepts or to illustrate the practical applications of your research. Relevant examples make abstract ideas tangible, aiding comprehension.
How to include an effective example of the background of the study?
Crafting a compelling background of the study in research is about striking the right balance between providing essential context, showcasing your comprehensive understanding of the existing literature, and highlighting the unique value of your research .
While writing the background of the study, keep your readers at the forefront of your mind. Every piece of information, every example, and every objective should be geared toward helping them understand and appreciate your research.
To write a well-crafted background of the study, you should be aware of the following potential research pitfalls .
Let's consider a topic: "The Impact of Online Learning on Student Performance." The ideal background of the study section for this topic would be as follows.
In the last decade, the rise of the internet has revolutionized many sectors, including education. Online learning platforms, once a supplementary educational tool, have now become a primary mode of instruction for many institutions worldwide. With the recent global events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a rapid shift from traditional classroom learning to online modes, making it imperative to understand its effects on student performance.
Previous studies have explored various facets of online learning, from its accessibility to its flexibility. However, there is a growing need to assess its direct impact on student outcomes. While some educators advocate for its benefits, citing the convenience and vast resources available, others express concerns about potential drawbacks, such as reduced student engagement and the challenges of self-discipline.
This research aims to delve deeper into this debate, evaluating the true impact of online learning on student performance.
This background section example effectively sets the context by highlighting the rise of online learning and its increased relevance due to recent global events. It references prior research on the topic, indicating a foundation built on existing knowledge.
By presenting both the potential advantages and concerns of online learning, it establishes a balanced view, leading to the clear purpose of the study: to evaluate the true impact of online learning on student performance.
As we've explored, writing an effective background of the study in research requires clarity, precision, and a keen understanding of both the broader landscape and the specific details of your topic.
From identifying the research problem, providing context, reviewing existing literature to highlighting research gaps and stating objectives, each step is pivotal in shaping the narrative of your research. And while there are best practices to follow, it's equally crucial to be aware of the pitfalls to avoid.
Remember, writing or refining the background of your study is essential to engage your readers, familiarize them with the research context, and set the ground for the insights your research project will unveil.
Drawing from all the important details, insights and guidance shared, you're now in a strong position to craft a background of the study that not only informs but also engages and resonates with your readers.
Now that you've a clear understanding of what the background of the study aims to achieve, the natural progression is to delve into the next crucial component — write an effective introduction section of a research paper. Read here .
The background of the study should include a clear context for the research, references to relevant previous studies, identification of knowledge gaps, justification for the current research, a concise overview of the research problem or question, and an indication of the study's significance or potential impact.
The background of the study is written to provide readers with a clear understanding of the context, significance, and rationale behind the research. It offers a snapshot of existing knowledge on the topic, highlights the relevance of the study, and sets the stage for the research questions and objectives. It ensures that readers can grasp the importance of the research and its place within the broader field of study.
The background of the study is a section in a research paper that provides context, circumstances, and history leading to the research problem or topic being explored. It presents existing knowledge on the topic and outlines the reasons that spurred the current research, helping readers understand the research's foundation and its significance in the broader academic landscape.
The number of paragraphs in the background of the study can vary based on the complexity of the topic and the depth of the context required. Typically, it might range from 3 to 5 paragraphs, but in more detailed or complex research papers, it could be longer. The key is to ensure that all relevant information is presented clearly and concisely, without unnecessary repetition.
Home » Background of The Study – Examples and Writing Guide
Table of Contents
Definition:
Background of the study refers to the context, circumstances, and history that led to the research problem or topic being studied. It provides the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter and the significance of the study.
The background of the study usually includes a discussion of the relevant literature, the gap in knowledge or understanding, and the research questions or hypotheses to be addressed. It also highlights the importance of the research topic and its potential contributions to the field. A well-written background of the study sets the stage for the research and helps the reader to appreciate the need for the study and its potential significance.
Here are some steps to help you write the background of the study:
Start by identifying the research problem you are trying to address. This problem should be significant and relevant to your field of study.
Once you have identified the research problem, provide some context. This could include the historical, social, or political context of the problem.
Conduct a thorough review of the existing literature on the topic. This will help you understand what has been studied and what gaps exist in the current research.
Based on your literature review, identify the gap in knowledge or understanding that your research aims to address. This gap will be the focus of your research question or hypothesis.
Clearly state the objectives of your research . These should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
Explain the significance of your research. This could include its potential impact on theory , practice, policy, or society.
Finally, summarize the key points of the background of the study. This will help the reader understand the research problem, its context, and its significance.
The background of the study is an essential part of any proposal as it sets the stage for the research project and provides the context and justification for why the research is needed. Here are the steps to write a compelling background of the study in your proposal:
The background of the study is a critical component of a thesis as it provides context for the research problem, rationale for conducting the study, and the significance of the research. Here are some steps to help you write a strong background of the study:
Here are the steps to write the background of the study in a research paper:
Here are some examples of the background of the study:
Problem : The prevalence of obesity among children in the United States has reached alarming levels, with nearly one in five children classified as obese.
Significance : Obesity in childhood is associated with numerous negative health outcomes, including increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers.
Gap in knowledge : Despite efforts to address the obesity epidemic, rates continue to rise. There is a need for effective interventions that target the unique needs of children and their families.
Problem : The use of antibiotics in agriculture has contributed to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which poses a significant threat to human health.
Significance : Antibiotic-resistant infections are responsible for thousands of deaths each year and are a major public health concern.
Gap in knowledge: While there is a growing body of research on the use of antibiotics in agriculture, there is still much to be learned about the mechanisms of resistance and the most effective strategies for reducing antibiotic use.
Edxample 3:
Problem : Many low-income communities lack access to healthy food options, leading to high rates of food insecurity and diet-related diseases.
Significance : Poor nutrition is a major contributor to chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Gap in knowledge : While there have been efforts to address food insecurity, there is a need for more research on the barriers to accessing healthy food in low-income communities and effective strategies for increasing access.
Here are some real-life examples of how the background of the study can be written in different fields of study:
Example 1 : “There has been a significant increase in the incidence of diabetes in recent years. This has led to an increased demand for effective diabetes management strategies. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a new diabetes management program in improving patient outcomes.”
Example 2 : “The use of social media has become increasingly prevalent in modern society. Despite its popularity, little is known about the effects of social media use on mental health. This study aims to investigate the relationship between social media use and mental health in young adults.”
Example 3: “Despite significant advancements in cancer treatment, the survival rate for patients with pancreatic cancer remains low. The purpose of this study is to identify potential biomarkers that can be used to improve early detection and treatment of pancreatic cancer.”
Here are some real-time examples of the background of the study in a proposal:
Example 1 : The prevalence of mental health issues among university students has been increasing over the past decade. This study aims to investigate the causes and impacts of mental health issues on academic performance and wellbeing.
Example 2 : Climate change is a global issue that has significant implications for agriculture in developing countries. This study aims to examine the adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers to climate change and identify effective strategies to enhance their resilience.
Example 3 : The use of social media in political campaigns has become increasingly common in recent years. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of social media campaigns in mobilizing young voters and influencing their voting behavior.
Example 4 : Employee turnover is a major challenge for organizations, especially in the service sector. This study aims to identify the key factors that influence employee turnover in the hospitality industry and explore effective strategies for reducing turnover rates.
Here are some real-time examples of the background of the study in the thesis:
Example 1 : “Women’s participation in the workforce has increased significantly over the past few decades. However, women continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions, particularly in male-dominated industries such as technology. This study aims to examine the factors that contribute to the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles in the technology industry, with a focus on organizational culture and gender bias.”
Example 2 : “Mental health is a critical component of overall health and well-being. Despite increased awareness of the importance of mental health, there are still significant gaps in access to mental health services, particularly in low-income and rural communities. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based mental health intervention in improving mental health outcomes in underserved populations.”
Example 3: “The use of technology in education has become increasingly widespread, with many schools adopting online learning platforms and digital resources. However, there is limited research on the impact of technology on student learning outcomes and engagement. This study aims to explore the relationship between technology use and academic achievement among middle school students, as well as the factors that mediate this relationship.”
Here are some examples of how the background of the study can be written in various fields:
Example 1: The prevalence of obesity has been on the rise globally, with the World Health Organization reporting that approximately 650 million adults were obese in 2016. Obesity is a major risk factor for several chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. In recent years, several interventions have been proposed to address this issue, including lifestyle changes, pharmacotherapy, and bariatric surgery. However, there is a lack of consensus on the most effective intervention for obesity management. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of different interventions for obesity management and identify the most effective one.
Example 2: Antibiotic resistance has become a major public health threat worldwide. Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria are associated with longer hospital stays, higher healthcare costs, and increased mortality. The inappropriate use of antibiotics is one of the main factors contributing to the development of antibiotic resistance. Despite numerous efforts to promote the rational use of antibiotics, studies have shown that many healthcare providers continue to prescribe antibiotics inappropriately. This study aims to explore the factors influencing healthcare providers’ prescribing behavior and identify strategies to improve antibiotic prescribing practices.
Example 3: Social media has become an integral part of modern communication, with millions of people worldwide using platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Social media has several advantages, including facilitating communication, connecting people, and disseminating information. However, social media use has also been associated with several negative outcomes, including cyberbullying, addiction, and mental health problems. This study aims to investigate the impact of social media use on mental health and identify the factors that mediate this relationship.
The primary purpose of the background of the study is to help the reader understand the rationale for the research by presenting the historical, theoretical, and empirical background of the problem.
More specifically, the background of the study aims to:
The background of the study should be written early on in the research process, ideally before the research design is finalized and data collection begins. This allows the researcher to clearly articulate the rationale for the study and establish a strong foundation for the research.
The background of the study typically comes after the introduction but before the literature review section. It should provide an overview of the research problem and its context, and also introduce the key concepts, theories, and research findings related to the problem.
Writing the background of the study early on in the research process also helps to identify potential gaps in knowledge and areas for further investigation, which can guide the development of the research questions or hypotheses and the research design. By establishing the significance of the research problem and its potential contribution to the field, the background of the study can also help to justify the research and secure funding or support from stakeholders.
The background of the study has several advantages, including:
Some Disadvantages of Background of The Study are as follows:
Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer
Every drop counts . Because research requires the input of resources—money or kind—it should have a justified return. You may be fine with throwing away a few dollars, but what about thousands of dollars? And what if you could shorten five months of hard labor into half? Think of all the other things you could have done with your time and money. When you have a research plan , you can save yourself the avoidable hassle of losing your mind to stress at 3 AM.
Before the board or your academic mentors give your study a signal, you have to show them that you know what you’re doing. A research plan is your research roadmap. And like any map, you use the plan to steer you and your team in the right direction. In essence, it is a document that reminds the researcher of the important details about the study.
A research plan is different from a research proposal . Although both talks about the study, the proposal is meant to sway opinion to favoring the conduct of the study. You also use proposals when you want to acquire study grants from higher institutions. A plan is for your perusal. As a researcher, you tend to become immersed in your study. By following all the promising trails, you may get lost in the process. Having a plan at arms reach lets you keep yourself on track. When you include a project timeline in your document, you can also track your progress along the way.
The rift goes way beyond numbers or the lack of thereof. The difference between the two isn’t because one is better than the other. In fact, a lot of research fields can benefit from the input of both methods. The choice between the two lies in what kind of question you want to answer. Qualitative research is appropriate for pioneer studies or those that require a deeper understanding of opinion, experiences, and encounters. Some things cannot be reduced to ones and zeroes. There are different methods for performing qualitative research. You can use interviews, focus groups, surveys , or observations. The versatility and cost-effectiveness of these methods make them a popular resort to researchers.
However, we cannot reduce quantitative research as a cold way to see the world. Quantitative research places measurements on things like opinion, behavior, and other variables. This method is more analytical and structured than qualitative research. Because most of the subjectivity is removed in data collection and analysis, the findings that are true for a small group can be used to generalize a bigger population. Most research in hard sciences is quantitative because the replicability of the results generally makes for credible results, especially when the only witnesses of the described event are the scientists in that lab. This research also makes use of surveys and questionnaires, provided that the observations can be represented in numerical data afterward.
In general, the plans adhere to the same format, although you can see derivations in the names of the headers or the arrangement of the sections. The document is like a proposal, except that the details are made for the researchers themselves. Research plans can be a precursor to research proposals. Hence they tend to have similarities in the document structure.
Research Question: This is the cold brew of your research study that kickstarts the entire research endeavor. This is the challenge or the issue that you want to address with your study. When you have a poorly-defined research question, you might as well forget about getting that research grant . The question is a lead on what the study will cover and the gaps in related literature.
Hypotheses: These are your well-educated predictions on the results of the study in answer to your research questions. Your entire research design is grounded in testing these hypotheses. That is why your guesses must be backed by established and credible information. It is also these hypotheses that will be supported or refuted by succeeding studies.
Objectives: Objectives will influence the research design because what you want to accomplish will direct the methods you’ll use. When well-defined, they will steer you straight in the right direction. This means that they should be appropriate for your study. In devising your objectives , you should remember to make them specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based.
Research Design: Because a research plan is like a rough sketch of your study, it includes your actual plan on how you will perform your investigation, as well as your list of materials and equipment. The details don’t have to be refined and specific, but they should convey the general idea. You can create a research flowchart of your methods to visualize the process better. Aside from being a map of the research, it is also an inventory check to see if you have the things you need for the study.
People learn by example. Check out the following qualitative research plans that would help you with your content. You can download these PDF files as your guide.
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Your research plan is for your use. It is meant to guide you throughout the entire research conduct . However, when you’ve set your standards too high and your plan is too idealistic, your performance and results might disappoint you. How do you make a plan that will work for you?
When you want to answer a problem, you first have to be knowledgeable about it. Especially when you are applying for a research grant, your benefactors should have the impression that you know what you’re doing. You have to scour sources for related literature. Maybe the study has already been done, or there is a similar problem that has already been solved. By being diligent in your literature review, you can get a grasp of the issue’s relevance to society. Because you are learning more about the subject, you can identify methods and approaches that you can apply. By now, your study is taking shape.
This is a large section of your research plan. It describes what you want to come out of this study and your expectations. You will also write about your course of action to realize those goals. There is a domino relationship shared by your research questions, objectives, and methodology . The former two determine your methods. And the three will have a significant bearing on your results. You can use established methods provided that you justify why you use them. You can be as specific as possible. But because the plan is preliminary, you can expect changes along the way.
As a researcher, you would want to make a significant contribution to the world. However, being too ambitious without the capacity to back it up will have negative consequences for your study. Therefore, when you plan a study, you have to look at your available resources. If you plan on procuring materials for the study, will they arrive on time? Is your expected schedule for deliverables realistic? Is your expectation for the study reasonable? You can add a timetable and a breakdown of foreseen expenses in your plan. That way, you can stick to your schedule and your budget.
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Here's an example outline of a research plan you might put together: Project title. Project members involved in the research plan. Purpose of the project (provide a summary of the research plan's intent) Objective 1 (provide a short description for each objective) Objective 2. Objective 3.
The 7 core components of a user research plan: The background of the research project detailing why we are conducting this study. This can also include the internal stakeholders involved. The objectives and goals of the research, what the teams want to learn from the research, or what they would like the outcome to be.
Using a template as a starting point makes planning and writing easier and helps you and your team stay focused on the who, what, why, and when of research. Read on for tips and examples for how you can build a user research plan that works. UX Research Plan Background. The background section should offer your clients and stakeholders a few ...
If you want to learn how to write your own plan for your research project, consider the following seven steps: 1. Define the project purpose. The first step to creating a research plan for your project is to define why and what you're researching. Regardless of whether you're working with a team or alone, understanding the project's purpose can ...
A research plan is a comprehensive document that outlines the entirety of your research project. It details the research process, from defining the problem statement and research objectives to selecting the research method and outlining the expected outcomes. This plan serves as a blueprint for your research activities, ensuring a focused and ...
The background of a study in a research paper helps to establish the research problem or gap in knowledge that the study aims to address, sets the stage for the research question and objectives, and highlights the significance of the research. The background of a study also includes a review of relevant literature, which helps researchers ...
To make a background research plan — a roadmap of the research questions you need to answer — follow these steps: Identify the keywords in the question for your science fair project. Brainstorm additional keywords and concepts. Use a table with the "question words" (why, how, who, what, when, where) to generate research questions from your ...
Step 4: Write a summary. Prepare a project summary that serves as your research project guide. This invaluable tool aids recruitment interviews, meetings, and field studies. With a well-structured summary, you can stay on track during interactions, ensuring you address key project aspects.
A research proposal serves as a blueprint and guide for your research plan, helping you get organized and feel confident in the path forward you choose to take. ... Example research proposal #1: "A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management ... Background research and literature review: Meet with supervisor for initial discussion;
How to plan a UX research study. This is a step-by-step guide to planning user research. It explains the process by which a research plan comes together into a shareable document (like the one above) that enables team alignment, accountability, and efficiency throughout your study. 1. Identify your research goals.
Here are seven steps you can follow to create a research proposal: 1. Define a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a statement that aims to explain the cause of a phenomenon or problem. To write a hypothesis, it's necessary for you to identify this phenomenon or problem and describe why you want to explain it.
6. Prepare the brief. The next component of a research plan is to create a brief or guide for your research sessions. The kind of brief you need will vary depending on your research method, but for moderated methods like user interviews, field studies, or focus groups, you'll need a detailed guide and script.
Research plans generally contain information such as: Background information with general insights into what you already know, why you're conducting the study, and what the problem is. The objective of your research and what you're trying to accomplish. Research questions, both primary and secondary, to guide your experiment. The participants and recruitment methods to bring together a ...
Determine relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research to support your research claim. State an overview and significance of your primary resources and provide a critical analysis highlighting what those sources lack and future directions for research. List your primary sources.
The success of any research study hinges on a well-crafted research plan, where the project background, research goals, and research questions serve as cornerstones. In this article, we will delve…
UX research is the study of user interaction to obtain insights that improve the design process. UX researchers study a group of target users to collect and analyze data that leads to user-friendly products. The primary goal of UX research is to build products for the end-user based on real data not what you think the user wants.
A research plan is a framework that shows how you intend to approach your topic. The plan can take many forms: a written outline, a narrative, a visual/concept map or timeline. It's a document that will change and develop as you conduct your research. Components of a research plan. 1. Research conceptualization - introduces your research question.
Crafting a compelling background of the study in research is about striking the right balance between providing essential context, showcasing your comprehensive understanding of the existing literature, and highlighting the unique value of your research. While writing the background of the study, keep your readers at the forefront of your mind.
Here are the steps to write the background of the study in a research paper: Identify the research problem: Start by identifying the research problem that your study aims to address. This can be a particular issue, a gap in the literature, or a need for further investigation. Conduct a literature review: Conduct a thorough literature review to ...
There are seven elements that your plan should include: the project background, the research goals, the detailed research questions, the key performance indicators or KPIs, the methodology, the ...
A research plan is your research roadmap. And like any map, you use the plan to steer you and your team in the right direction. In essence, it is a document that reminds the researcher of the important details about the study. Plan vs. Proposal. A research plan is different from a research proposal. Although both talks about the study, the ...
Follow Examples. As you read this page, look at our Sample Applications and More to see some of the different strategies successful PIs use to create an outstanding Research Plan. Keeping It All In Sync. Writing in a logical sequence will save you time. Information you put in the Research Plan affects just about every other application part.
Key Info. Background research is especially important for engineering design projects, because you can learn from the experience of others rather than blunder around and repeat their mistakes. To make a background research plan — a roadmap of the research questions you need to answer -- follow these steps: Identify questions to ask about your ...