Thematic
Research - Proposal Writing: What You Need to Know
The following paper is a result of a study commissioned
by the AERC Secretariat with a view to assisting researchers
in improving the quality of their research proposals.
It was written by Jan Willem Gunning
Introduction:
Research proposals sent to the African Economic Research
Consortium (AERC) sometimes do not get very far. In
some cases the researcher may be invited to present
the proposal at a workshop, but it ends up attracting
so much criticism that the author is eventually advised
to withdraw it.
In other cases the reviewers selected by the Secretariat
may consider the proposal so far away from what is required
that the researcher is not even invited to present the
proposal.
I have long felt that quite often these outcomes are
avoidable because a good project may be presented very
poorly. Many people in the AERC network are, therefore,
concerned about such outcomes and this paper aims to
reduce their incidence.
Cajal, a famous Spanish neuroscientist, in his book
Advice for a Young Investigator (first published in
1897), noted the following simple rules for scientific
writers:
- Have something to say
- Say it
- Stop once it is said
- Give the article a suitable title and order of presentation
After more than a century Cajal's advice still makes
excellent sense, not only for drafting articles, but
also for writing research proposals.
This paper gives researchers some simple advice to
keep in mind when writing a proposal. Obviously, it
will not give you good research ideas because it is
your responsibility to "have something to say".
But the paper will help you to put your good ideas into
a format that will give them the recognition they deserve.
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