practice? Or specifically whether the proposed
study is a basic, pure, fundamental, evaluation
or applied research? Or if it is an action research
or an evaluation study what sort of contribution
to knowledge or practice (problem solving)
is expected? In case of action and evaluation
studies it may be the generation of knowledge
in the adoption of methods by an applicant
such as randomization, matching methods,
double difference method, instrumental
variable method, among others (Milanzi, 2017).
2) The hint on the philosophical or theoretical
information related to the current and previous
studies in the topic. At this level it is not expected
that the applicant/student can exhaustively
address all philosophical and theoretical issues
related to the area or the topic in which an
investigation will be carried out. But, it is possible
that the student should be able to provide the
hint (scanty or limited knowledge) on the state
of knowledge or practice pertaining to the
scientific advancement related to the expected
or proposed study problem area.
3) A proposed methodology and/or a research
approach (strategy) that will be suitable in the
study. An applicant or a student must rationalize
the choice of the approach and methodology
and he/she should be able to indicate that he/
she is conversant with the selection he/she has
made. The applicant should show the relevance
of the proposed method(s) and approach(es)
and how will they tally with the formulated
objectives, research problem and hypotheses
(research questions).
study the contribution of workers councils in
public institutions in Tanzania?
5) Other criteria/issues: show that an applicant
or student has a keen interest to undertake
an advanced degree on the topic he/she has
identified. In addition, the applicant/student
should also show that he/she has an ability
to do an advanced study in terms of time,
devotion and other resources with minimum
and reasonable level of supervision.
I am expecting that this guide will help a reader and
the would-be applicant or the student to organize
his/her mind and then be able to prepare a short
Concept Note (of less than five pages, for example)
that can be submitted to the School or relevant
Department for scrutiny and approval. A Concept Note
is not a conversational telephone call or a one or two
(lobbying) visits to the Department of the University
by the applicant/student requesting for admission or
permission to go to the field for data collection. The
Concept Note is the document that shows a discourse
which the student/applicant would like to pursue.
I would like to show how a generic Concept Note should
look like. I first assume that the proposed Concept Note
structure in this article can be used and applied by any
person originating from any natural science or social
science discipline to convince the academic department
that what she/he intends to do is worth scientific,
worth doing and worth developing the research plan
(Proposal). Second, it is upon the student to shape his/
her Concept Note to fit the specific requirements which
the academic department concerned would like to read
or know about the problem area.
Hence, the contents of the Concept Note I am proposing
4) A compatibility of the proposed study to the
are:-
national, institutional goals and the overall
research agenda. Is the topic worth research in
1) The title of the study: preferably it should have
the context of the national, institutional and
the average of eight words. Avoid redundant
research agenda priorities? Whose research
words in the title. For example, M.C.Milanzi
agenda? For instance, why someone wants to
(2004) PhD Thesis twas entitled The Application
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Convocation Newsletter | 2017