
How to Design Studies and Write Research Proposals
A Guide for Nursing, Allied Health and Social Care Students
- 1st Edition - March 15, 2024
- Imprint: Elsevier
- Author: Kader Parahoo
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 2 6 1 6 3 - 3
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 2 6 1 6 4 - 0
If you’re writing a research proposal for the first time, this is the book for you. It’s the only text on the market that guides you through the entire process, from designing a re… Read more

Purchase options

Institutional subscription on ScienceDirect
Request a sales quoteIf you’re writing a research proposal for the first time, this is the book for you.
It’s the only text on the market that guides you through the entire process, from designing a research study to submitting a successful proposal. It covers everything from formulating the research question to selecting the research methodology, collecting data, and navigating ethics, all supported with plenty of practical tips, real life examples and checklists for honing your proposal.
How to Design Studies and Write Research Proposals is written by nursing research expert Professor Kader Parahoo, whose work is loved by students for its accessible writing style and practical approach.
It’s the only text on the market that guides you through the entire process, from designing a research study to submitting a successful proposal. It covers everything from formulating the research question to selecting the research methodology, collecting data, and navigating ethics, all supported with plenty of practical tips, real life examples and checklists for honing your proposal.
How to Design Studies and Write Research Proposals is written by nursing research expert Professor Kader Parahoo, whose work is loved by students for its accessible writing style and practical approach.
- Takes readers through all the steps of the research process from developing research questions to research impact
- Deals with quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies
- Provides examples of real proposals, most of which are freely accessible online
- Makes reference to research studies and research proposals from a wide range of countries
- Provides examples from the fields of nursing, allied health sciences and social work
- Provides detailed checklists of items to include in proposals, at the end of each chapter
- Provides useful references and links that readers can access to further explore issues raised in the text.
- Written in a language and style that makes research easier to understand
Undergraduates in nursing, allied health sciences and social work
- Cover image
- Title page
- Table of Contents
- Copyright
- Acknowledgements
- List of proposal examples
- Introduction
- List of Illustrations
- List of Tables
- 1. How to develop research questions for proposals
- Introduction
- Sources of research questions
- From topic to specific questions
- Summary and conclusions
- References
- 2. Background and literature review in research proposals
- Introduction
- Relationship between literature and proposals
- Introduction/rationale for the study
- The literature review section of a proposal
- Additional notes for the introduction/literature review in proposals
- Summary and conclusions
- References
- 3. Conceptual frameworks in research proposals
- Introduction
- The meaning of ‘conceptual framework’
- Conceptual framework, theoretical framework and conceptual model
- Common conceptual and theoretical frameworks used in nursing, health and social care research
- How conceptual and theoretical frameworks are used in research studies
- Conceptual frameworks in qualitative studies
- Limitations of frameworks
- Summary and conclusions
- References
- 4. Selecting research designs for descriptive and correlational studies
- Introduction
- Methodology and design
- Matching designs to questions
- Research designs in descriptive and correlational studies
- Blurring terminologies
- Summary and conclusions
- References
- 5. Selecting experimental designs
- Introduction
- Experimental designs
- Trials in research proposals
- Summary and conclusions
- References
- 6. Selecting qualitative designs
- Introduction
- Questions in descriptive qualitative studies
- Main reasons for undertaking qualitative studies
- Use of theories and conceptual frameworks to underpin qualitative studies
- The use of the term ‘design’ in qualitative studies
- The flexible and emerging nature of ‘design’ in qualitative studies
- Summary and conclusions
- References
- 7. Selecting mixed methods designs
- Introduction
- Mixed method designs
- Types of mixed methods design
- Mixed methods designs as ideal types
- Describing mixed methods studies in research proposals
- Summary and conclusions
- References
- 8. Quantitative data collection and analysis
- Introduction
- Selecting methods of data collection
- Data collection and analysis methods
- Selecting data collection methods for a study
- Physiological measures and other sources of data
- Data analysis
- Data handling and management
- Structured interviews
- Clinical interviews
- Reporting data collection and analysis in research proposals
- Summary and conclusions
- References
- 9. Qualitative data collection and analysis
- Introduction
- Qualitative face-to-face interviews
- Focus groups
- Summary and conclusions
- References
- 10. Quantitative and qualitative observation in proposals
- Introduction
- Common types of observation in research studies
- Issues to consider when using structured observation
- Qualitative observations
- Additional notes on observation in proposals
- Summary and conclusions
- References
- 11. Samples and sampling in quantitative studies and proposals
- Introduction
- Samples and sampling
- Sampling in proposals for surveys and correlational studies
- Sampling in trials
- Summary and conclusions
- References
- 12. Samples and sampling in qualitative studies and proposals
- Introduction
- Factors determining samples and sampling in qualitative research
- Samples and sampling in grounded theory studies
- Samples and sampling in phenomenological studies
- Samples and sampling in ethnographic studies
- Samples and sampling in mixed methods studies
- Summary and conclusions
- References
- 13. Ethical issues in study design and proposals
- Introduction
- Ethical issues related to the research topic or question
- Ethical issues related to participants
- Ethical issues related to designs and methods
- Researcher-related ethical issues
- Summary and conclusions
- References
- 14. Research impact in proposals
- Introduction
- Brief background to the rise of ‘research impact’
- What is research impact?
- Strategies and activities to facilitate impact
- Summary and conclusions
- References
- 15. Involving users, patients and the public in research
- Introduction
- Background to PPI in nursing, health and social care research
- Clarification of PPI terms
- PPI before, during and after the study
- Roles and status of users, patients and public contributors in research teams
- Recruiting patients and public contributors
- Ethical issues in PPI
- Budgeting for PPI in proposals
- Toolkits for PPI
- Describing PPI in research proposals
- Summary and conclusions
- References
- 16. Timeline, costings and research team
- Introduction
- Resources for research studies
- Estimating and calculating resources
- Constructing a timeline for the study
- Costing resources
- The research team
- The profile of researchers
- Summary and conclusions
- References
- 17. Tips for successful research proposals
- Introduction
- Pre-development phase
- Proposal presentation
- Pre-submission review
- Funders’ criteria
- Common reasons for proposal rejection
- Rejection, reflection, revision and resubmission
- Summary and conclusions
- References
- Appendix A. Checklist for reporting quantitative descriptive and correlational studies (survey, cohort and case control) in research proposals
- Appendix B. Checklist for reporting trials in research proposals
- Appendix C. Checklist for reporting qualitative studies in proposals
- Appendix D. Checklist for mixed methods studies in research proposals
- Index
- Edition: 1
- Published: March 15, 2024
- Imprint: Elsevier
- No. of pages: 256
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN: 9780443261633
- eBook ISBN: 9780443261640
KP
Kader Parahoo
Emeritus Professor in Nursing and Health Research at Ulster University, with over 30 years’ experience in teaching and doing research in nursing and health. Former Director the Institute of Nursing Research at Ulster. Founding member of the European Academy of Nursing Sciences.
Affiliations and expertise
Emeritus Professor in Nursing and Health Research, Ulster University, UK