1. Introduction and Statement of the Problem:
- Does the introduction provide a general overview of the issues surrounding the study?
- Is the problem under investigation clearly stated?
- Is evidence used to demonstrate the significance of the problem?
- Is evidence used to indicate the feasibility of the study?
- Is there a description of ethical issue?
- Are important terms defined?
- Are assumptions clearly stated?
2. Background and Review of the Literature:
- Is the study grounded in a larger body of research?
- Is the review current and representative of work in the area?
- Are related studies examined critically and gaps identified?
- Does the review provide a clear rationale of the study?
- Is the review well organized, using sub-sections where appropriate?
3. Research Questions/Hypotheses:
- Do the research questions/hypotheses develop a specific focus for the study?
- Do the research questions/hypotheses support the problem statement and background sections?
- Are the research questions worded so as to imply responses more complex than “Yes/No”?
4. Methodology and Limitations:
- Is the research design described clearly and appropriate for the study?
- Are the sample and participants fully described?
- Is the sampling plan appropriate for the study?
- Are data gathering procedures fully explicated and appropriate for the study?
- Are analytical procedures fully explicated and appropriate for the study?
- Is the technical merit of instruments described clearly?
- Are issues related to limitations and/or trustworthiness satisfactorily identified and addressed?
- Do the sampling, data collection, and analytical procedures appropriately match the problem statement and research questions?
- Are the instruments or interview guides acceptable and appropriate for the study?
5. Other Concerns:
- Does the proposal demonstrate a high quality of written expression?
- Is the potential cohesive and coherent?
- Does a consistent conceptual framework and/or paradigm unite the problem statement, research questions, and methods section?
- Is the tone of the proposal impartial, unbiased, and scientific?
- Are applicable support documents (appendices) included and satisfactory?
- Is an appropriate style (e.g. APA style) used correctly and consistently?
- Does the proposed study adhere to conventional wisdom related to ethics?
- Does the abstract summarize the contents of the proposal clearly and accurately?
