Perception of Hospital Nurses Attending on Continues Staff Development Activities
The Prospectus guideline
The study Prospectus is a brief document that provides preparatory information about your research and is used as a plan for developing the proposal that is evaluated to ensure the quality of your research.
Implementation the Prospectus
The goal for the prospectus is to design a plan for developing your study proposal. The study Prospectus consists of several short sections, which are detailed in the annotated outline. Therefore, you need to have more information for the prospectus than the study Premise. You do not need to know all the specific details of the study that you will finally conduct. For example, you aim to identify pain intensity in a quantitative study, but at this point, you do not yet need to identify the instrument that you plan to use to measure pain intensity.
The outline in this guideline is general, and every research project is unique therefore you can add further information in your prospectus to assure your research supervisor that you are in the right direction. For example, feasibility will be one criterion for evaluating your prospectus, and if you are considering a very unique sample group, your research supervisor may ask that you explore that aspect in more detail before moving forward.
The study Prospectus should follow the guidelines in the sixth edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association and be saved as a .doc file. You have to take into account that prospectus development is an iterative process and that you will receive continuous feedback on working drafts.
When your research supervisor consents that your prospectus meets all the quality indicators. Your research supervisor will give a final approval of the prospectus, and you will start working on your proposal.
The Outline
The Prospectus document includes a title page (page 1) followed by pages containing the required elements in the prospectus. Please use the Prospectus template that is available on the student handbook.
Title Page
The recommended title length is 12 words or fewer to include the topic, the variables and relationship between them, and the most critical keywords. Double-space the title if over one line of type and center it under the word "Prospectus." Please note that your proposal title wills likely change as the project evolves. Add your name, your program of study, and your Student number-double-spaced and centered under the title.
Title
Start with "Prospectus" and a colon, and then include the title as it appears on the title page. Double-space if over one line of type and center it at the top of the page.
Problem Statement
Provide a one- to two-paragraph statement that is the result of a review of research findings and current practice and that contains the following information:
- A logical argument for the need to address an identified gap in the research literature that has current relevance to the discipline and area of practice. Remember that a gap in the research is not, in and of itself, a reason to conduct research. Make sure to clarify the problem that led you to the gap.
- Add evidence that provides justification that this problem is meaningful to the discipline or professional field. Provide three to five key citations that support the relevance and currency of the problem. These references are not necessary all be from peer reviewed journals but should be from reputable sources, such as national agency databases or scholarly books, and should ideally be from the past 5 years.
Purpose
Present a concise, one-paragraph statement on the overall purpose or intention of the study, which serves as the connection between the problem being addressed and the focus of the study.
- In quantitative studies, state what needs be studied by describing two or more factors (variables) and a supposed relationship among them related to the identified gap or problem.
- In qualitative studies, describe the need for increased understanding about the issue to be studied, based on the identified gap or problem.
- In mixed-methods studies, with both quantitative and qualitative aspects, clarify how the two approaches will be used together to inform the study.
- For other approaches, clarify why an alternative approach is needed and useful for this project.
Significance
Provide one or two paragraphs, informed by the topic in the problem statement, that describe the following:
- How this study will contribute to filling the gap identified in the problem statement: What original contribution will this study make?
- How this research will support professional practice or allow practical application: Answer the so what?
- How the claim aligns with the problem statement to reflect the potential relevance of this study to society: How might the potential findings lead to positive social change?
Background
Provide a representative list of scholarship and findings that support and clarify the main assertions in the problem statement, highlighting their relationship to the topic, for example, "this variable was studied with a similar sample by Smith (2013) and Johnson (2014)" or "Jones's (2012) examination of industry leaders showed similar trends in the same key segments." Some of these resources may have already been mentioned in the first sections of the prospectus and can be included here, also.
Framework
In one paragraph, describe the theoretical/conceptual framework in the scholarly literature that will ground the study. Base this description on the problem, purpose, and background of your study. This theoretical or conceptual framework informs, and is informed by, the research question(s) and helps to identify research design decisions, such as the method of inquiry and data collection and analysis.
Research Question(s)
List the question or a series of related questions that are informed by the study purpose, which will lead to the development of what needs to be done in this study and how it will be accomplished. A research question informs the research design by providing a foundation for
- generation of hypotheses in quantitative studies,
- questions necessary to build the design structure for qualitative studies, and a
- Process by which different methods will work together in mixed-methods studies.