This guide accompanies the two-part workshop, Library Research for the Undergraduate Researcher, held October 13 and 15, 2020.
Workshop Description: In this two-part workshop series, MTSU librarians will share a template for an undergraduate research proposal, with particular focus on how to conduct the library research necessary to complete the literature review portion of the proposal. These workshops are ideal for students who are contemplating applying for a URECA grant or who want to know more about how to conduct the library research that is part of any research proposal and research project. The workshop is co-sponsored by MTSU Walker Library and the MTSU Undergraduate Research Center.
Part 1: Librarians will introduce a research proposal template, demonstrate how to conduct library research about your area of interest, and discuss how to complete a literature review.
Part 2: Librarians will expand on the components of the research proposal template and discuss steps for completing the proposal, including the introduction, methodology, research design, and ethical considerations.
Dr. Reed's research proposal template, and much of the information presented in this workshop, is based on the following book.
Writing a Proposal for Your Dissertation: Guidelines and Examples by
This user-friendly guide helps students get started on--and complete--a successful doctoral dissertation proposal by accessibly explaining the process and breaking it down into manageable steps. Steven R. Terrell demonstrates how to write each chapter of the proposal, including the problem statement, purpose statement, and research questions and hypotheses; literature review; and detailed plan for data collection and analysis. Of special utility, end-of-chapter exercises serve as building blocks for developing a full draft of an original proposal. Numerous case study examples are drawn from across the social, behavioral, and health science disciplines. Appendices present an exemplary proposal written three ways to encompass quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods designs. User-Friendly Features *"Let's Start Writing" exercises leading up to a complete proposal draft. *"Do You Understand?" checklists of key terms plus an end-of-book glossary. *End-of-chapter quizzes with answers. *Case study examples from education, psychology, health sciences, business, and information systems. *Sample proposal with three variants of the methods chapter: quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods.
