‘To understand is hard. Once one 
     understands, action is easy’             (Sun Yat Sen, 
     1866–1925)             
                                IELA, 28 Feb 2021, Carla Queiroz, 
                                       Ph.D
     Structure of this Presentation:
      1.Research Proposal
      2.Steps in Designing a Reserach Proposal
      3.Taking into account the Context
      4.Research Methods
      5.An example of how to use Mixed Methods Reserach 
        Approach
      6.Conclusions
                                IELA, 28 Feb 2021, Carla Queiroz, 
                                       Ph.D
      RESEARCH PROPOSAL AS THE BLUEPRINT OF OUR 
      “HOUSE”/RESEARCH:
      • Our Research Proposal is the BLUEPRINT OF OUR 
        HOUSE, the BLUEPRINT OF OUR RESEARCH. 
      • Researchers are the architects of our own research 
        (we must develop drawings for the structure which 
        dictates the overall “floor plan of rooms, the flow of 
        plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems—even 
        the direction in which the house will face” (Osanloo & 
        Grant, 2016).
      • Research design refers to “the overall strategy that 
        you choose to integrate the different components of 
        the study in a coherent and logical way… it 
        constitutes the blueprint for the collection, 
        measurement and analysis of data.” (Labaree, 
        2013)
                                          IELA, 28 Feb 2021, Carla Queiroz, 
                                                   Ph.D
     RESEARCH PROPOSAL AS A BLUEPRINT OF OUR HOUSE:
     •Doing research is not like following a 
      recipe for baking a cake.
     •“Educational research, far from being a 
      mechanistic exercise, is a deliberative, 
      complex, subtle, challenging, 
      thoughtful activity and often a 
      messier process than researchers 
      would like it to be.” (Cohen, Manion and 
      Morrison, 2018).
                                IELA, 28 Feb 2021, Carla Queiroz, 
                                       Ph.D
      STEPS IN DESIGNING A RESEARCH 
      PROPOSAL
          •   Identify  the  research  problem  clearly  and  justify  its 
              selection.
          •   Review  and  synthesize  previously  published  literature 
              associated with the research problem.
          •   Clearly and explicitly specify research questions central to 
              find answers to the problem.
          •   Decide  on  what  methods  for  data  collection  to  answer  the 
              Research Questions.
          •   Describe how you will analyse the data (e.g. qualitative study: 
              transcriptions,  coding  structure,  themes),    quantitative  study 
              (statistical testing that will be used for each research question).
                                                                                                                          
               (Labaree, 2013)
                                                                    IELA, 28 Feb 2021, Carla Queiroz, 
                                                                                    Ph.D