DIRE DAWA UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE

Research Proposal Format
All research endeavors in every academic and professional filed are preceded by a research
proposal. A research proposal details the operational plan for obtaining answers to research
questions. It informs your supervisor and others what you propose to do, how you plan to
proceed and why the chosen strategy has been selected. It thus assures readers of the validity
of the methodology used to obtain answers accurately and objectively.

CONTENTS OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Although the style and content of a research proposal may vary within an institution, from
discipline to discipline or from supervisor to supervisor, the majors are the following:

1. Cover page:

 Name of institution (university/school/department)

 Title (topic of the study)
 A research proposal submitted to department of Accounting and Finance for partial
fulfillment of BA degree in Accounting and finance
 Name of the researcher
 Name of advisor
 Date of submission
 Dire Dawa , Ethiopia
Note: cover page should not contain abbreviation, has no page number

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Sample cover page:

Font size should be 16 pts and

capital Letter And centered

DIRE DAWA UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS
DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE
Title font Size should be 16 PtsText should
be capital letter And centered

Title (topic of the study)

A research proposal submitted to department of Accounting and Finance

for partial fulfillment of BA degree in Accounting and finance.

All other should be 14 pts font size

Name of the researcher:
Name of advisor:

May 2024
Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

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2. Abstract: is a brief summary of approximately 300 words of your senior easy proposal and
of whole research on completion of the study.
Should include:
 Statement of the problem/gap
 The principal/general objective of the study
 Summarized Methodology
 Expected result/ value addition
Should only limited to research proposal

3. Table of content
4. Acronyms (if any)
A research proposal should contain the following information about your study

Chapter One
Introduction
1.1. Background of the study

An introduction should focus to review and cite relevant studies that have done before. The
proposal should start with the introduction to include some of the information listed below:
• An overview of the main area under study;
• A historical perspective (development, growth, etc) pertinent to the study area; (if any)
• Major theories, if any;
• The main issue, problems and advances in the subject area under study; The main
findings related to the core issue (empirical evidences).

Note: any other’s material, saying or finding used in any part of the proposal should be
acknowledged or cited.

1.2. Statement of the problem

Having provided a broad introduction to the area under study, now focus on issues relating to its
central theme; Identify some of the main gaps/unanswered questions. Identify the issues that are
the bases of your study;

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 • Specify the various aspects of/perspectives on this issues;
• Identify what Knowledge is available concerning your questions;
• Develop a rationale for your study with particular reference to how your study will fill
the identified gap.
• Raise some of the basic research questions that you want to answer through your study;

Effective problem statement answer the question ‘’why does the study need to be conducted”

1.3. Objectives of the study

1.3.1. General objective: - indicates the central drive of your study Indicate the topic
of the study preceded by action verb.
1.3.2. Specific objectives: - identify the specific issues you propose to examine &
enable you to answer the most general objective.
The objectives of the study should be clearly stated and specific in nature. Each sub-objective
should delineate only one issue. No conjunction words to use. Use action-oriented verbs such as’
to determine’ to find out’ and ‘to ascertain ‘in formulating sub-objectives, which should be
numerically listed.
1.4. Hypothesis to be tested (optional)
A hypothesis is a statement of your assumptions about the prevalence of a phenomenon or about
a relationship between two variables that you plan to test within a framework of the study.

When formulating a hypothesis you have an obligation to draw conclusions about it in the text of
the report. In a study you may have as many hypotheses as you want to test. However, it is not
essential to have a hypothesis in order to undertake a study.

1.5. Significance
This section justifies its relevance for social, scientific or policy ground of the study after
completion.
1.6. Scope and limitation of the study
1.6.1. Scope- The area and content coverage of the study or delimitation up to which
your study extends(cover)
1.6.2. Limitation- any lack in conducting/draw conclusion that reduces the reliability
of your study up to some degree confidence.

1.7. Organization of the main paper:

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 Chapter Two

Literature Review
2.1. Theoretical literature review

2.2. Empirical literature review (previous research findings)

Chapter Three

Research Methodology

3.1 Research design and approach

Describe the study design you plan to use to answer your research questions. For example, say
whether it is a case study, descriptive, cross-sectional, before-and-after, experimental or
nonexperimental design and describe your research approach such as quantitative, qualitative or
mixed approach.

3.2 Data source & type

Includes Source (primary & secondary), type (qualitative &quantitative) Type of study based
on unit of analysis (case study or survey), time dimension of research design (time series, cross
sectional or panel)

3.3 Data collection instrument-(observation, questioner, interview, document reviewing and

analysis, group discussion)
3.4 Population of the study
3.5 Sampling and sample size (if not use census method)

Under this section of the proposal include the following:

 The size of the sampling population (if known), and form where and how this information
will be obtained;
 The size of the sample you are planning to select, and your reasons for choosing this size;
 An explanation of the sampling technique you are planning to use in the selection of the
sample (simple random sampling, stratified random sampling, quota sampling etc.)

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 3.6 Data processing procedure- (editing, coding………)
3.7 Data analysis techniques - descriptive or inferential

Note: in each section and/or alternative of the methodology, reason for why you
discriminate/ prefer from others is necessary to assure readers the appropriateness of study
tools.

3.8 Time schedule (Sample)

Tasks DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. APR.

W3 W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W w3
4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2
Reviewing
literature

Proposal
writing

Instrument
construction

Data
Collection
Data
organization

Data Analysis

Report writing

Paper report-
first
Paper report-
final

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 3.9 Cost budget schedule (Sample)
Measurement unit Quantity Price per unit Total price in birr
Descriptions
Paper sheet Pack 2 100 200
Pen '' 5 3 15
Printing Page 300 1.5 450
For questioner writing '' 10 3 60
Photocopy of materials '' 500 0.75 375
Mode of transport - 500
Binding the manuscript Number 6 10 60
Refreshment - 400
Miscellanies expense - 290
Contingency - 200
Total costs 2,550

Reference

 American psychological association (APA)

 Harvard reference

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