squarely build on the central objective.
c. Develop the research questions:
Empirical questions or non empirical
questions and then show the direction
of their causality non causality (Milanzi,
2004, 2011a, b).
4) Inform about the methodology or a meta-
method to be used in the study
a. What design: Experiment? Survey
(census)? Case study? WHY?
b. What type of the study? Cross sectional?
Longitudinal? Mixed? Why so?
c. Do not use ambiguous words like
qualitative or quantitative methods
d. Units of inquiry and units analysis
e. Data collection instruments and data
analysis procedures
f. Theoretical
and
practical
developments: conceptual framework/
model expected to be used.
I could have amply elaborated this section
with concrete examples from my doctoral
degree thesis work but I doubt that this
commentary should not be too long to
read. Let it not bore you to explain the
interpretive meta-method used during my
doctoral degree endeavor in England.
which the assessors can decide and facilitate the
author’s intentions.
References
Auriacombe, C.J. (2001) Guidelines for Drawing up
Research Proposals and Preparing Theses/Dissertations,
Pretoria: Unisa, Department of Public Administration
Milanzi, M.C. (2017) Managing agroforestry
interventions in Tanzania: a descriptive analysis,
Conference Paper, IURO 125 th Anniversary Congress,
September 18 – 22, Freiburg, Germany
___ (2011a) Comments on the Concept Notes, Official
Communication (Letter) to the Dean, Faculty of Public
Administration and Management (FPAM), Mzumbe
University, Tanzania (26 th May 2011)
___ (2011b) Key ideas when setting research questions,
Mzumbe University Newsletter, Issue Number 12, July –
December, pages 14, 15 & 19
___ (2004) Application of soft systems methodology
within farming communities in Tanzania, Unpublished
PhD Thesis, University of Lincoln, United Kingdom
___ (forthcoming) Research Methods in Social Sciences,
Mzumbe University
5) Conclusion
I have tried to make myself well understood by the
readers of this guide. This is what I perceive to be the
case. I think that the whole exercise of determining the
quality of the Proposal will depend on the quality of
the Concept Note developed by you.
It is in the opinion that after reading this article the
applicants/students in our School can now come up
with their respective Concept Notes written with a
degree of accepted and crude scientific rationality,
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Convocation Newsletter | 2017