Developing Research Ideas and Proposals: A Guide for Emerging Scholars
Presentation Type
Tutorial Presentation
Abstract
Developing research ideas and proposals can be an ambiguous and intimidating process for emerging scholars. This presentation, Developing Research Ideas and Proposals: A Guide for Emerging Scholars, is designed to help students understand how to transform an initial curiosity into a structured and well-formulated research proposal. The session outlines a step-by-step process that begins with identifying a topic of personal or academic interest, exploring the topic in-depth, refining the chosen topic into a well-developed research question, and finishing with practical instructions for creating a proposal to conduct research. The presentation begins by emphasizing the role of curiosity as the starting point of scholarly inquiry. Students are encouraged to reflect on their interests, experiences, or observations to identify broad areas of curiosity. Next, the process of exploring a topic through background research is discussed, highlighting the importance of reviewing credible sources, recognizing patterns in existing literature, and identifying gaps in current knowledge. Participants will learn strategies for narrowing a general topic into a focused, researchable question that aligns with their goals and resources. The session then transitions into the practical aspects of creating a research proposal. Key components will be discussed, including the introduction and background, literature review, purpose and research questions, methods, ethical considerations, and anticipated outcomes. To support student learning beyond the presentation, attendees will receive structured handouts designed to guide them through each stage of the research development process. These handouts will include prompts for identifying topics of interest, refining research questions through review of existing literature, and organizing proposal sections. Together, these materials will serve as a step-by-step resource that students can apply to their own academic work.
Developing Research Ideas and Proposals: A Guide for Emerging Scholars
Developing research ideas and proposals can be an ambiguous and intimidating process for emerging scholars. This presentation, Developing Research Ideas and Proposals: A Guide for Emerging Scholars, is designed to help students understand how to transform an initial curiosity into a structured and well-formulated research proposal. The session outlines a step-by-step process that begins with identifying a topic of personal or academic interest, exploring the topic in-depth, refining the chosen topic into a well-developed research question, and finishing with practical instructions for creating a proposal to conduct research. The presentation begins by emphasizing the role of curiosity as the starting point of scholarly inquiry. Students are encouraged to reflect on their interests, experiences, or observations to identify broad areas of curiosity. Next, the process of exploring a topic through background research is discussed, highlighting the importance of reviewing credible sources, recognizing patterns in existing literature, and identifying gaps in current knowledge. Participants will learn strategies for narrowing a general topic into a focused, researchable question that aligns with their goals and resources. The session then transitions into the practical aspects of creating a research proposal. Key components will be discussed, including the introduction and background, literature review, purpose and research questions, methods, ethical considerations, and anticipated outcomes. To support student learning beyond the presentation, attendees will receive structured handouts designed to guide them through each stage of the research development process. These handouts will include prompts for identifying topics of interest, refining research questions through review of existing literature, and organizing proposal sections. Together, these materials will serve as a step-by-step resource that students can apply to their own academic work.