Department of Engineering Science

University of Oxford

From Idea to Outline and Proposal

Demystifying the writing of a research proposal

Fauzan Adziman
Post-doc and a tutor

Oxford Education Day

KBRI London, 25 April 2015

Life as a post-doc

Source: phdcomics.com

best of all, is being independent.

Life as a tutor at Oxford

Source: timeshighereducation.co.uk

is all about understanding how to demystify problems.

But how

by outlining your ideas to tackle specific problems a Proposal!

Contents

Introduction
1.

How to write a Research Proposal / written work

2.

Tips and examples

Discussion

The design

Market Need

Concept

Identify your readers

Construct the master-plan

Embodiment

Construct the first draft

Detail

Clarity, readability, style

Product

The visual presentation

Edit!

Ref 1 (* a list of references is available)

Markets for technical writing

Ref 1

Concept the master plan

Ref 4

Concept the master plan

Core idea:
What? Why?
Context of your idea:
Relationship with works by others (literature review)
Methods:
How will you know?

Activities:
What will you do?
Products:
Immediate/longer outcomes?
Budget/timeline:
What costs over what of time periods?
Ref 5

Concept the master plan

A sophisticated one: Twenty steps to a proposal

Ref 4

Concept the master plan

or a simplified one

Ref 3

Concept How about a concept-sheet?

A model of a concept-sheet

Ref 1

The design

Market Need

Concept

Identify your readers

Construct the master-plan

Embodiment

Construct the first draft

Detail

Clarity, readability, style

Product

The visual presentation

Edit!

Ref 1

Embodiment write the first draft

When you begin to write a proposal.

Think BIG, avoid tunnel vision, and dare to DREAM!

but also TAKE YOUR TIME.

Why is this?
If you start small, your work will end up even smaller
Consider projects that could lead to years of research
Dream about solving important problems, making a difference,
producing significant papers, and making discoveries
Great ideas do not appear in thirty-minute windows of time.

When designing a research, expect to spend lots of time on it. You will.
Ref 3

Embodiment write the first draft

Not sure how? Exercise might help

1. Critique other proposals
2. Accomplish administrative & technical tasks
3. Work on the conceptual framework of your research
+ e.g. prepare an oral presentation, and so on

Ref 3

Embodiment write the first draft

TITLE
Meaningful and brief.

e.g.
Predicting the Fatigue of Metal Foams
is better than
The Mechanical Response of Cymat and Alporas
Metallic Foams to Uni-axial Cyclic Loading
?
even though it is arguably less specific.
A title maybe more important than you think.
Ref 1,3

Embodiment write the first draft

INTRODUCTION
o What is the problem and why is it interesting?
o Who are the main contributors?
o What did they do?
o What novel thing will you reveal?

Ref 1

Embodiment write the first draft

METHOD
o Depends on types:
o Experiment: equipment, materials, method
o Modelling: assumptions, mathematical tools, method

o Computational: inputs, computational tools, method

o Qualitative: please refer to references
o Explain what is especially different about your method.

o Give sufficient detail and so on .

REFERENCES
Ref 1

The design

Market Need

Concept

Identify your readers

Construct the master-plan

Embodiment

Construct the first draft

Detail

Clarity, readability, style

Product

The visual presentation

Edit!

Ref 1

Detail grammar
Exhaustive list is exhausting
be concise and succinct, yet correct.
Some suggestions to delve deeper into:

The parts of speech

Sentence structure (subject, predicate, at least)
Phrases and clauses
Compound sentences
Complex sentences
that and which
Spelling, e.g. -ise or -ize
Punctuation matters: . , ; (:) [] italics ! ?
Style e.g. good first sentence
Finally, . focus on clarity.
Ref 1

Checklist to be productive

Small steps, quantum leaps.

Ref 1

Introduction
1.

How to write a Research Proposal

2.

Tips and examples

Discussion

Examples market need

My actual short PhD proposal:

&

Abstract of my
masters dissertation

Please note:
The above is a particular case, therefore
please adjust the length of your proposal
that suits your need.
The idea here is to show that
understanding market need and be
concise and succinct are useful.
Actual advertisement

Examples concept-sheet

For todays presentation

Examples from my colleagues

Tracey Yani Harjatanaya (Alumnus, Universities of Cambridge and Oxford)

... kalau saya memulai dengan membaca literatur yang relevan dengan topik riset

yang diinginkan untuk menstimulasi otak dan kemudian mencari 'gap' dari penelitian
yang sudah dibuat.

Aishah Prastowo (PhD student, University of Oxford)

saya awali dengan membaca banyak paper dan menandai kata-kata kerja yang

banyak digunakan di bidang saya, juga istilah-istilah yang saya baru dengar.
Saya juga membuat satu file berisi daftar kalimat pertama dari berbagai paper sebagai
referensi bagaimana memulai tulisan.

Summary

What we propose to do?

Why?
How?
With what effect?
At what costs?
In what period of time?

It may result in
something BIG!
IF NOT 3Rs Rethink, Revise and Resubmit! ( and say no to giving up )

References

1.

Ashby, M. How to write a paper. 6th ed. University of Cambridge, 2005.

2.

Denicolo, P., Becker, L. Developing research proposals. SAGE, 2012.

3.

Friedland, A.J., Folt, C.L. Writing successful science proposals. 2nd ed. Yale
University Press, 2009.

4.

Locke, L.F., Spirduso, W.W., Silverman, S.J. Proposals that work: a guide for
planning dissertations and grant proposals. 5th ed. SAGE, 2007.

5.

Shore, A.R., Carfora, J.M. The art of funding and implementing ideas: a
guide to proposal development and project management. SAGE, 2011

Lets discuss

May you enjoy the journey

as well as

the destination!

Fauzan Adziman, M.Eng., Ph.D.

Solid Mechanics and Materials Engineering
Department of Engineering Science,
University of Oxford
Email: fauzan.adziman@eng.ox.ac.uk