Suggestions for Preparing Proposals for the RCB Research Program Committee

January 30, 2003 (revised January 2007 to reflect November 30, 2006 policy changes)

R(1) - Appendix 1

ROBINSON COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
SUGGESTIONS FOR PREPARING PROPOSALS FOR
THE RCB RESEARCH PROGRAM COMMITTEE

The proposal has to be very clear about

(1) the specific work you propose to do,

(2) the specific outcomes you expect from this work, and

(3) the specific benefits and planned uses of these outcomes.

Select the most appropriate category for your proposal (basic or applied, and theoretical, quantitative empirical, or qualitative empirical); this lets the reader evaluate your work by the correct set of standards.
A report to the Research Program Committee of acceptable quality is required before any additional funding is taken through the research program.
Emphasize completeness, but write clearly and concisely. Proposals cannot exceed 6 double spaced typewritten pages including references. Proposals of excessive length will be returned without review. Rambling and repetition take space away from the essential information about what you propose to DO and what good you expect to come of it.
If your proposal involves the use of student subjects, you need to carefully address the issue of generalizability.

Proposers are encouraged (but not required) to classify research proposals into six categories, defined by two dimensions: purpose (basic and applied) and method (theoretical, quantitative empirical, qualitative empirical). In most cases, this will make it easier for the members of the Committee to apply the right set of criteria to assess the proposal's merits. No hierarchy is implied by this listing. All types of research compete for available resources on an equal basis.

BASIC THEORETICAL

Formulation of new theories, models, or hypotheses that are of interest to an identified research community, through the process of logical reasoning and/or systematization of other theories.

APPLIED THEORETICAL

Application of new theories or models to problems that are of practical importance to an identified user community, through the process of logical reasoning and/or implementation of new models.

BASIC QUANTITATIVE EMPIRICAL

Testing theories, models, or hypotheses that are of interest to an identified research community, through statistical analysis of large bodies of data, either existing or newly collected through survey, simulation, or experiment.

APPLIED QUANTITATIVE EMPIRICAL

Testing theories, models, or hypotheses that are of practical importance to an identified user community, through statistical analysis of large bodies of data, either existing or newly collected through survey, simulation, or experiment.

BASIC QUALITATIVE EMPIRICAL

In-depth, qualitative study of phenomena and relationships that are of interest to an identified research community, using methods such as case study, legal research, ethnography, etc.

APPLIED QUALITATIVE EMPIRICAL

In-depth, qualitative study of phenomena and relationships that are of practical importance to an identified user community, using methods such as case study, legal research, ethnography, etc.

Premier refereed journal articles and externally-funded research grants and contracts are the most highly valued outcomes.

A published proceedings article is an intermediate value outcome; conferences indexed by major bibliographic services rate higher than conferences not indexed.

Conference presentations and working papers are lower value outcomes.

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