Reference no: EM132883452
Research Methods & Bioethics
Research Proposal Guidelines
You are required to write a research proposal for your chosen research project.
Project Title: Molecular mechanisms of the transition between latent and active tuberculosis.
After identifying markers of the transition between latent and active tuberculosis we will identify the interactions between them in the active and latent states using computational systems biology methods.
Before writing the proposal, you should, of course, have selected the project, have the signed agreement of the project supervisor and a signed ethical declaration. You should then discuss the scientific content of the proposal with the project supervisor, as the areas of research are specialist in nature, and it is the project supervisor who will mark the proposal and who will be able to give the best guidance on reference searching and the methods of investigation that are to be used.
It is important to carry out a literature review first of all, so that you understand the background to the area of investigation before suggesting how the problem is to be investigated. A key aim of the Research Methods & Bioethics module is to encourage you to develop your literature searching skills, using databases such as PubMed, Science Direct and Web of Science. If unsure, you should discuss possible search word combinations with your project supervisor.
The proposal should be composed of the following sections:
Cover page:
This should include the project title, your name, ID and course details, together with the names of the Module Leader and your project supervisor.
Summary (200words):
A brief overview of the background to the problem, a brief statement of aims/hypothesis, a short summary of the main approaches to be used, a statement of the main expected outcomes from the work and how it will contribute to the advancement of research in the area of investigation.
Background to the investigation (500words):
This should include a comprehensive but concise literature review to introduce the area of interest to the investigation, citing relevant publications including key research papers (not just review articles!). This should not exceed approximately 500 words. It is important to do this well, as this part of the proposal will carry 40% of the total assignment marks.
The literature review should end with a short commentary on the nature of the problem to be investigated and/or hypothesis to be tested, followed by the principle aims of the proposed work, which should be presented short and concise.
Experimental design for all types of projects (500words):
This should include:
• an outline of the main methods to be used, including brief principles of each method (not exhaustive details, unless critical to the proposal - i.e. if method development/refinement is a principle aim)
• the purpose of using each method, its advantages/drawbacks and
• a short commentary on the desirable/anticipated outcomes from the planned work.
For the meta-analysis/in-silico project: The methods section should include the expected data set or data bank, bioinformatic analysis/tools, statistical analysis/tests to be used.
Milestones of the investigation (300words):
This section should list the main (expected) experimental outcomes (milestones of the work with an indication) indicating the point in time at which major milestones in the work should be achieved and how the different areas of the practical work relate to each other (e.g. a time line or GANTT chart or flow chart ).
Attachment:- Research Methods.rar