Legal research methodology: The nuts and bolts of research proposal

Abstract

Research proposal is an important segment of research methodology. It is the first step in writing a thesis or dissertation in a doctorate degree programme in institutions of higher learning. It is also an important requirement for research funding by donor organizations. The aim of this paper is to examine the nuts and bolts of research proposal. It identifies the sources of a research problem and highlights the characteristics of a good research topic. It also identifies the parts of a research proposal and discusses them with practical examples that cut across disciplinary boundaries. It adopts the doctrinal methodology. It relies on secondary sources of data. It found that the art of writing research proposal is almost forgotten in institutions of higher learning apparently due to lack of appropriate manpower and dearth of adequate teaching material on the subject matter. It suggests, amongst other things, that there should be training and retraining in research methodology in every field of study with a view to fixing the loose nuts and bolts of research proposal.