如何写好研究计划（Research Proposal）?

Research Proposal一般指研究计划，有过申请国外博士学习机会经历的小伙伴可能会比较熟悉。此外，它还可以和我们的“开题报告”“开题计划”“选题报告”等基本对等。其实，在进行科研工作时，制订合理的研究计划是必不可少的一步，好的研究计划也能让你的后续工作事半功倍。

那么，如何才能写好研究计划呢？

1、如何确定研究问题？

写研究计划之前需要确定研究问题，包括以下关键步骤：

01.Start your proposal by drawing up a shortlist of topics that might be worth investigating.

02.Take this list to someone who has had experience in carrying out research ( such as a colleague or potential mentor) to get advice on which topic, in their view, is the best one to proceed with.

03.Formulate a general question that the research will answer and, from here, focus the question.

04.Make decisions about what data needs to be collected to answer the question, where and how it might be collected, and how the data might be analysed.

05.Draw up an initial research plan. It is important, at the same time, to read enough in order to decide whether the proposed project is on the right track.

06.Think about the ethical implications of the research in terms of what permissions need to be obtained to carry out the research, and what guarantees of anonymity can be given to the people involved in the research.

这其中通常对研究新手来说最为棘手的，是第3点，提出问题和聚焦问题。简单来说，研究问题应该具备两个特点：worthy和answerable。研究者应当根据自身能力和水平来找寻平衡，确定研究问题。

下面这些更详细的建议对细化研究问题会有所帮助：

Read broadly and widely and to find a subject about which you are passionate. Immerse yourself in the literature use your library, read the abstracts of other recent theses and dissertations, check theses on the web. For example: http://www.ndltd.org.

Narrow your focus to a single question: Be disciplined and not over-ambitious.

Be prepared to change or modify your question if necessary.

Be able to answer the question: 'Why am I doing this project?’ (and not a different one).

Read up-to-date materials — ensure that your idea is achievable and no one else had done or is doing it.

Work through the implications of your research question: Consider existing materials and ideas on which it is based, check the logic, spell out methods to be used.

Condense your research question into two sentences: Write it down, with pride, above your working area. Change question if needed.

Ask yourself: What will we know at the end that we did not already know?

Paltridge还举了个中国学生的例子。该学生正在国外留学，研究兴趣是如何将交际教学法用于国内高校的语言教学。由于不在国内，他无法获取可用于研究的第一手数据，不过手头上却正好有一套国内大学的英语教科书，加之他主要对听力教学感兴趣，于是便将资源和兴趣相结合，比较研究中国大学的英语听力教材和英语国家基于交际法的教材。他的例子向我们展示了如何确定满足worthy和answerable两个条件的研究问题，即：

Choosing a topic

Communicative language teaching in China

Choosing a question

Communicative language teaching in Chinese universities: Is it really possible?

Focusing question

The place of listening in the communicative classroom: An East-West comparison

Narrowing the focus of the question

Focusing on listening in EFL coursebooks: An East-West comparison

02、研究计划的典型结构是怎样的?

经过以上步骤确定好研究问题后，就可以动笔写详细的研究计划了。一个典型的研究计划应该包括以下部分：

Title

To summarise, in a few words, what the research will be about

Relevant background literature

To demonstrate the relationship between the proposed study and what has already been done in the particular area; that is, to indicate the “gap” that the study will fill

Research question (s)

To provide an explicit statement of what the study will investigate, i.e., the questions the study will answer or the hypotheses it will test

Definitions of terms

To provide the meaning of the key terms that have been used in the research question (s)

Research methodology

To provide an overview of the research approach that will be employed in the study, data that will be collected, how it will be analysed, etc.

Anticipated problems and limitations

To show awareness of the limitations of the study, what problems may be met in carrying it out, and how they will be dealt with

Significance of the research

To say why the study is worth carrying out

Resources required / Budget

To say what resources the research will require and what costs may be anticipated in carrying out the study.

Ethics

To provide a statement as to how participants will be advised of the overall nature of the study and how informed consent will be obtained from them

Timetable

To give a working plan for carrying out and completing the study

References

To provide detailed references and bibliographic support for the proposal

Appendix

To provide examples of materials that might be used, or adapted, in the study

要写好研究计划，以上是最基本需要了解的，此外还有许多细节值得注意。比如如何给出关键术语的定义、如何选择适合研究问题的研究方法，必要时还要先进行pilot study。这些内容都在本书和以下书中有进一步的讨论。