research proposal on genetics pdf

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Department of Molecular and Cell Biology

Genetics and Genomics

Formal “qualification” for the Ph.D. degree takes place by passing the Dissertation Proposal, a tripartite examination focused upon the student’s dissertation research plans. This exam should be taken at a point at which the student has completed most course work and has research well underway. The student should aim to complete this exam by the end of the third year of graduate study. The three parts of the exam, each of which will be evaluated separately by the full Advisory Committee are:

I. A written proposal II. A seminar presentation on the proposal III. A closed-door question and answer session with faculty

A student who demonstrates acceptable performance on all three parts of the examination, evidenced by a majority vote of the full Advisory Committee to pass on all three sections, “qualifies” for the Ph.D. degree, and continues on that track of study. A student who does not make adequate progress, evaluated by a majority vote of the Committee, may be asked by the Committee to repeat any sections of the examination to achieve a full pass. In cases of inadequate performance on the examination, the Committee may also recommend transfer to one of the Master’s of Science programs.

I. GUIDELINES FOR WRITTEN PROPOSAL PREPARATION

(For Genetics and Genomics doctoral scholars in MCB)

The written proposal has a ten page limit ( excluding references) and the following suggested sections. All figures, tables, charts, and diagrams are included in this 10-page limit. This format is based on current grant submission formats for most federal agencies, which range from 4-12 pages total, preparing the student for succinct presentation and defense of their scientific premise.

You must submit this Proposal two calendar weeks (10 business days) before the scheduled examination to each of your committee members. The thesis advisor may read and make general comments on this document prior to submission, but may not edit it. For some guidelines on writing, Helpful Hints on Scientific Writing.

Cover page: This is not included within the 10-page limitation.

It will include: Title, date of submission, date of scheduled exam, student name, committee members’ names and affiliations.

I. Significance. What are the broad implications of the research that you propose? What is its importance? The significance section should “funnel” consideration from the global to the specific project at hand. One warning: everything you mention in this section is fair game for questioning. Keep focused on the issues you identify as really important. (1/2 – one page)

II. Specific Aims/Goals. Make use of numbered, concise statements of hypotheses/questions. This will immediately focus the reader on precisely what you will be doing, and place the background in context. Keep in mind that this does not have to reflect historical chronology, but rather should present a series of logical steps. (1/2 -one page)

Sections I-II is the total content of Page 1 and cannot exceed one page.

Pages 2-10 Consist of the Following Sections:

III. Background and Preliminary Data. Provide a brief synopsis of the relevant background the reader needs to interpret your proposed research. (2 pages or less) This should not be an exhaustive literature review, but rather should highlight the background needed to place the area of research into context to understand your experimental hypotheses and approaches.

Keep in mind not all members of your committee are in the same area of research; it is critical to explain why the system/question/approaches proposed are interesting, important, and feasible.

In the preliminary data component of this section, a brief presentation of the data collected by the student in support of the approach and aims should be included. Note that considerable variation in the extent of data among students is expected, but only include data relevant to the proposal.

IV. Approach. This section is the bulk of the proposal (4-5 pages). It is a good idea to have a subsection for each hypothesis/question posed in each specific aim. In this section, you are tasked with defending why you should continue for the next 2-4 years on your project. In other words, convince your readers that this work is worthwhile, feasible and will contribute to the field.

Include the following subsections under each aim in the approach section:

A. Rationale . This is a statement of the logic behind your experiment. Include in this section any thinking that went into your hypothesis, any synthesis you might have made.

B. Experimental Plan. Include in this section the strategy you plan to use to address the hypothesis, as well as information about procedures and protocols in general terms. Your committee is more interested in the logic than in the details – reference common procedures. Focus on those aspects that are conceptual rather than technical, but be aware of any limitations of the methodology you select.

C. Interpretations and Alternative Approaches. Make sure you interpret results critically. Showing alternative meanings indicate that you have thought the problem through and are able to meet future challenges. Call attention to potential difficulties you may encounter with each approach. Propose alternatives that would circumvent possible limitations. Committee members will be aware of possible problems; convince them you can handle such circumstances.

For example:

Specific Aim 1: To…

1.A. Rationale – why do this? 1.B. Experimental Plan – how will I do this? 1.C. Interpretations and alternative approaches – what will it mean if I see X or Y? If it does not work because of the following reason…I will perform….to overcome this problem

IV. Timeline and Impact.

In this section, briefly lay out your timeline of experiments for the remainder of your thesis, including anticipated milestones such as publication submissions, conference presentations, and other seminar opportunities. Do not include courses, teaching and other duties not directly relevant to the work.

The impact statement should summarize (2-4 sentences total) what your body of work would contribute to the field, highlighting the advances it makes over existing knowledge.

II. SEMINAR PRESENTATION of PROPOSAL (see Presentation Skills )

Iii. closed door exam.

PERSPECTIVE article

A proposal for clinical genetics (genetics in medicine) education for medical technologists and other health professionals in japan.

• 1 Department of Cell Biology, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
• 2 Department of Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
• 3 Faculty of Allied Health Science, Yamato University, Suita, Japan

Since the completion of the Human Genome Project, technology has developed markedly in fields such as medical genetics and genetic counseling in the medical arena. In particular, this technology has advanced the discovery of and ways of understanding various genes responsible for genetic diseases, and genetic polymorphisms thought to be associated with disease. Some have been implicated as factors in common lifestyle diseases and have increased the significance of genetic testing. In Japan, doctors and other health professionals, such as nurse and medical technologists have been engaged in genetic testing and genetic disease treatment. Chromosomal and gene aberrations were detected mainly by medical technologists. However, due to the nature of medical technologists who have to provide various clinical tests, such as blood test, pre-medical technology students are required to cover tremendous knowledge of different academic fields to pass the national exam. Therefore, the time allowed for such students to study chromosomal and gene analysis is quite limited. Moreover, they are forced to enter the medical setting without receiving sufficient training. Among them, only few medical technologists specialize in chromosomal and gene analysis. However, with the advancement of clinical genetics and development of chromosomal and gene analysis, conducting clinical practice is becoming more and more difficult for medical technologists who just passed the national exam. Also, doctors and other health professionals have not been able to keep up with service demands either. This paper attempts to address knowledge and skills gaps (especially clinical genetics, English, and ICT literacy) of medical technologists and we propose educational methods to prepare medical genetics professionals in Japan to meet these gaps.

Introduction

The development of human and medical genetics education is associated with advances in molecular biology, immunology, and cancer research. In Japan, an interest in Mendelian genetics 1 developed very early for the purpose of breeding, especially of plants. After World War II, the study of radiation genetics 2 and human cytogenetics 3 grew in the wake of the atomic bomb disasters at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and research has continued to be pursued. But medical and human genetics education had been particularly weak ( 1 ). The Japanese were previously ashamed of having a handicapped child and they tended to be pessimistic about the child’s future. Prior to enactment of the Eugenic Protection Act in 1948, patients with “mental retardation,” an “anomaly,” or “leprosy” were prohibited from having children, and their sterilization was lawfully performed. Except for medical doctors, there was an absence of medical and human genetics education until recently. Though medical genetics training is required in the US for medical doctors, there is no such requirement in Japan; therefore, at many Japanese medical institutes, there are very few medical and human genetics specialists.

Genetic Testing in Japan

Prior to the establishment of genetic counseling in Japan, chromosomal and gene aberrations were detected mainly by medical technologists. Their numbers, however, are insufficient to meet current demand in Japan. As a result, members of a variety of other professions are eligible for certification to engage in chromosome and gene testing, including physicians, researchers, and various paramedics (Table 1 contains a list of professions that may be certified). The certifying bodies of service providers of genetic counseling vary in Japan: “clinical cytogeneticist,” Japanese board of medical genetics (JSHG) ( 2 ); “genome medical research coordinator (GMRC) ( 2 ),” JSHG; “genetic medical technologist,” Japanese association for chromosome and gene analysis (JACGA) ( 3 ), and “molecular analysis technologist,” College of Molecular Analysis of Japan (CMAJ) ( 4 ). Table 1 contains a description of the various professionals and their activities with respect to genetic testing and/or counseling.

Table 1 . Professions certified to engage in chromosome and gene testing and/or genetic counseling in Japan .

These service providers have received the requisite education and passed examinations for certification. Thus, physicians, researchers, and medical technologists/other health professionals working in hospitals have been screened and educated; nevertheless, the depth and breadth of their education are limited due to time constraints. Most are not sufficiently educated with respect to clinical genetics (genetics in medicine), and therefore, many may not fully recognize its importance. This is clear when their educational preparation (“genetic literacy”) is compared to the genetics education described in a report from the ASHG Information and Education Committee ( 5 ).

In Japan, it is thought that any health care worker can perform chromosome and genetic testing. Thus, it appears that medical technologists are responsible for some chromosome and gene analysis, with other health professionals responsible for the remainder. We would like to recommend the implementation of legal regulations or guidelines that specify the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in chromosome and genetic testing.

Educational Needs of Genetics Professionals in Japan

In this section, the educational methods to train next-generation students/other health professionals belonging to medical care-associated educational institutions in Japan are discussed. The content is based primarily on our previous research and education regarding genetics. Currently, we are engaged in chromosome and gene analysis/gene testing education based on content assessed by the National Examination for Medical Technologists in Japan. The areas are discussed below.

Practical components include chemistry, biology, biochemistry, physiology, anatomy, and hematology for not only medical technologists/other health professionals but also most physician Ph.D. medical geneticists ( 5 – 7 ) on chromosome and gene analysis/gene testing education in the third year of a 3-year educational program after completion of corresponding lectures. Lectures primarily involve genetics, molecular biology, and clinical genetics. Practical components include investigation of the polymorphism 4 of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ADH2) ( 8 , 9 ) in each student himself or herself. The objective is to allow students at an age when they begin drinking alcohol to compare their own alcohol resistance (phenotype) between ADH2 and SNP 5 and to actually realize changes in a single gene and subsequent differences in the phenotype. Alcohol resistance and the effect of anesthetics are considered to be correlated, which also suggests that this material is appropriate for students who are going to be engaged in medical care. Students’ alcohol consumption, as a phenotype, is compared with their genotype. Each student reviews whether or not there is a correlation between gene polymorphism and alcohol consumption (phenotype), and submits a report.

The lecture contents include the basics of molecular biology and experimental procedures such as the PCR method 6 ; this method is applied for the detection of hereditary diseases, such as neurological and metabolic/endocrine disorders, infection with pathogenic bacteria/viruses, and cancer, as well as for individual identification. Chromosomal abnormalities are covered by lectures on hematology ( 10 ), but a thorough understanding is required for the gene test education program. Currently, time is restricted. To aid understanding, the above practical genetic training about ADH2 and SNP is carried out despite the tightly scheduled curriculum.

To confirm the usefulness of this training for the understanding of gene tests as an example of our attempts, the results of examinations regarding gene tests between the two groups with and without such training were compared. The lecture contents and examination questions were matched between the two groups. The mean scores for students with ( n = 179) and without ( n = 102) training were 76.4 and 75.6, respectively (perfect score: 100). A t -test yielded no significant between-group differences ( 11 ). This was possibly because the examination questions covered basic content, and not practical content. In the future, we are going to see how these outcomes are affected on the national examination.

To confirm whether or not chromosome and gene analysis/gene testing education contributes to the rate at which students pass the National Examination for Medical Technologists in Japan, questions in national examinations over the past 6 years were investigated, and the proportion of students who gave correct answers to gene test-matched questions versus biochemistry/information science-matched questions was compared. The mean score for the field of chromosome and gene analysis/gene testing was more than 10 points lower, reducing the rate at which students passed the National Examination for Medical Technologists (see Table 2 for a summary of scores in the last 6 years).

Table 2 . Test scores on the national examination for medical technologists in Japan .

For training, basic procedures, such as genome DNA collection, agarose gel electrophoresis 7 , PCR, and Southern hybridization 8 , are selected ( 12 ). Table 2 would show genetic training increases the passage rate on the national examination. There may be a gap between these procedures and medical technologists’ work that are not being addressed by current standards in Japan. We plan to invite medical technologists engaged in viral, chlamydia, and tubercle bacillus testing in clinical practice to give lectures. In the future, the effects of these lectures will be examined. Nevertheless, it may be difficult for medical technologists to acquire knowledge regarding chromogene testing at the same level as required for the authorized genetic counselor-training course in Japan ( 5 ).

Medical technologists accrue this experience in clinical practice; this is inconsistent with the authorized genetic counselor-training curriculum. Therefore, in order to be allowed to provide clinical genetics services, they should be required to acquire one of the credentials described in Table 1 . (Genetic counselors are required not only to obtain a postgraduate degree but also to have intensive training in genetics, psychological techniques, and ethical reasoning.) We have thought eligibility requirements are exacerbating the shortage of higher qualified professionals.

However, individuals do not always meet eligibility criteria for taking the examination. There are regulations that restrict eligibility for this examination using a point system according to whether an individual wrote papers during a limited time period, presented reports at conferences of designated scientific societies, and participated in conferences and training (periodic renewal is also necessary). For some qualifications, it is necessary to engage in training under senior instructors for some years (especially, clinical cytogeneticist). Therefore, eligibility requirements cannot be readily obtained.

It may therefore be necessary to establish specialized programs and institutions to prepare individuals to acquire these qualifications.

Recommendations for “Genetic Literacy” Education

We have been engaged in education regarding chromosome and gene analysis/gene testing ( 5 , 6 ). Human genetics is not taught in Japanese junior high or high schools ( 5 ). However, the spirit of the Maternal Protection Act, bioethics, and famous genetic diseases associated with chromosomal abnormalities should be taught during compulsory education. We consider that students understand the importance and risks of chromosomal defects/genes. The results of examinations regarding gene tests have been favorable. However, they are not reflected in the results of national examinations. Although equipment is limited, a curriculum involving practice programs regarding viruses and pathogenic bacteria must be established. It is necessary to train medical technologists who can pass the national examination and demonstrate their ability in clinical practice. In actuality, genes associated with diabetes, stroke, heart disease, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and obesity have been identified (OMIM) ( 13 ). In the future, chromosome and gene analysis/gene testing may be introduced as a screening method managed by medical technologists. According to WHO guidelines, other health professionals should work in the medical genetic fields.

Chromosome and gene analysis/gene testing have become more common, as described previously, but they involve obtaining important personal information, and persons engaged in this service provision are required to have precise and accurate knowledge and skills ( 14 – 23 ). Educational content and methods must keep pace with advances in genetics. Intensive training in genetics, psychological techniques, and ethical reasoning is needed to prepare medical technologists (and other healthcare professionals) to provide appropriate genetic counseling services. Both classroom/laboratory methods and supervised clinical experiences are needed. Information on effective educational methods in guidelines developed by the American Society of Human Genetics and in curricula regarding clinical genetics (genetics in medicine) in the United States ( 24 ) should be provided.

Recently, the position of genetic nurse has been established in the UK ( 5 ), and training for this position has begun in Japan. According to WHO guidelines, not only physicians but also all health care providers, such as nurse sand public health nurses, are advised to have the ability to provide genetic counseling irrespective of their professions. According to WHO, the profession and population ratio of medical geneticists in the advanced countries is about 1:220,000, and 1:3,700,000 in developing countries and Japan. Therefore, Japan needs to accelerate further training ( 25 , 26 ).

Our Proposals

With the advancement of clinical genetics and development of chromosomal and gene analysis, conducting clinical practice is becoming more and more difficult for medical technologists who just passed the national exam. Chromosomal and gene analysis services require medical technologists/other health professionals to be current with respect to new genetic information and technology. The credentials described in Table 2 must be voluntarily acquired, so that will not only facilitate them with knowledge and skills but also reassure patients about the accuracy of testing.

First, the basic medical science taught during the compulsory education must be reacknowledged. Second, we must improve ICT literacy skills to keep ourselves updated with rapid advancement of medical devices and ICT ( 5 ). English literacy skills also must be acquired in order to be current with cutting edge clinical genetics in this global society ( 5 ). Finally, for professions with high turnover rates, such as nurses or medical technologists, and medical providers who left their career for raising their children, a training program should be prepared to help them return to work.

In order to solve the above problems, together with physicians, medical geneticists, and medical technologists, other than the credentials described in Table 1 , we plan to establish a new society and a national qualification system for “genome consultants” (or “genome inspectors”) (tentative name) in order to put them on equal footing with physicians and provide patients with accurate information on chromosome and genetic testing ( 5 ). In addition, genome consultants could encourage younger generations to have an interest in genetic counseling. We hope to instill unified high level of knowledge and skills via a master’s degree as Genetic counselors and the new national qualification system. We also hope that genome consultants will work not only in Japan but all over the world.

We also hope that these professions will contribute to genomic medicine, while delivering our advanced healthcare techniques not only in Japan but all over the world.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Etsuko Sato (St. Mary’s Hospital, Kurume, Japan), Dr. Hironao Nanbu (Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan), Dr. Norio Niikawa (Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan), Dr. Nobuyoshi Shimizu (Keio University, Tsukuba, Japan), Dr. Patricia Veach (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA), and Dr. Bonnie LeRoy (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA) for their helpful assistance. We would also like to thank Dr. Yoichi Fujita and Yoichi Ishida for their helpful support. This work is partially supported by the Japan Leukemia Research Fund (Hidetsugu Kohzaki).

• ^ Mendelian genetics: Mendelian inheritance was initially derived from the work of Gregor Johann Mendel published in 1865 and 1866, which was re-discovered in 1900. It was initially very controversial. When Mendel’s theories were integrated with the chromosome theory of inheritance by Thomas Hunt Morgan in 1915, they became the core of classical genetics. His law consists of three tree parts. First: the Law of Segregation, second: the Law of Independent Assortment, and third: the Law of Dominance.
• ^ The genetic effects of radiation are investigated.
• ^ Mechanisms for genetic phenomena are investigated by comparing cytological findings, such as chromosomal behaviors, polyploidy, and aneuploidy during cell division, with the laws of inheritance. Chromosomal behaviors according to Mendel’s laws and mechanisms for sex determination have been cytogenetically elucidated.
• ^ Several genotypes exist for a certain gene.
• ^ Individual differences in DNA nucleotide sequences are called genetic polymorphisms. In SNP, only a single base is replaced by another. About 10 million SNPs exist in the 3 billion bases of the human genome. Some SNPs in gene regions influence protein expressions.
• ^ Trace amounts of DNA are amplified using polymerase, an enzyme involved in DNA replication.
• ^ Negatively charged DNA molecules are separated by agarose pores according to their size.
• ^ Two single-stranded DNA molecules complementary to each other form a double-stranded DNA molecule through hydrogen bonds formed between bases. The size of DNA molecule of interest can be determined by agarose gel separation.

1. Harper PS. A Short History of Medical Genetics . London: Oxford University Press, Inc. (2008).

2. JSHG. Available from: http://jshg.jp/qualifications/index.html

3. JACGA. Available from: http://www.jacga.jp/

4. CMAJ. Available from: http://www.cmaj.jp.net

5. Kohzaki H. Problems and their solutions in genetic counseling education in Japan. Front Public Health (2014) 2 :100. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2014.00100

CrossRef Full Text

6. Kohzaki H. Detection of chromosomal abnormality and mutations by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay. J Chrome Genes Anal (2010) 28 :126–30. doi:10.1101/gr.7080508

Pubmed Abstract | Pubmed Full Text | CrossRef Full Text

7. Kohzaki H, Sugawara R. A proposal for information science education for paramedics/medical technologist training. Comput Educ (2012) 33 :104–5.

8. Yokoyama A, Tsutsumi E, Imazeki H. Polymorphisms of alcohol dehydrogenase-1B and aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 and the blood and salivary ethanol and acetaldehyde concentrations of Japanese alcoholic men. Alcohol Clin Exp Res (2010) 34 (7):1246–56. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2010.01202.x

9. Kohzaki H, Ito K, Huang G, Wee HG, Murakami Y, Ito Y. Block of granulocytic differentiation of 32Dcl3 cells by AML1/ETO (MTG8) but not by highly expressed Bcl-2. Oncogene (1999) 18 :4055–62. doi:10.1038/sj.onc.1202735

10. Dalva K, Beksac M. Sequence-specific primed PCR (PCR-SSP) typing of HLA class I and class II alleles. Methods Mol Med (2007) 134 :51–60. doi:10.1007/978-1-59745-223-6_4

11. Kohzaki H, Murakami Y. Faster and easier chromatin immunoprecipitation assay with high sensitivity. Proteomics (2007) 7 :10–4. doi:10.1002/pmic.200600283

12. Kohzaki H, Ito Y, Murakami Y. Context-dependent modulation of the replication activity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae autonomously replicating sequences by transcription factors. Mol Cell Biol (1999) 19 :7428–35.

Pubmed Abstract | Pubmed Full Text

13. OMIM. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/omim

14. Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare: Ethics Guidelines for Clinical Studies (2008). Available from: http://www.mhlw.go.jp/general/seido/kousei/i-kenkyu/rinsyo/dl/shishin.pdf

15. Genetic-Medicine-Related Societies (JSHG, Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Japan Society for Pediatric Genetics, Japanese Society for Familial Tumor, Japanese Society for Gene Diagnosis and Therapy, Japanese Society for Genetic Counseling, Japanese Society for Inherited Metabolic Diseases, Japanese Society of Laboratory Medicine (JSLM), Japanese Society for Mass-screening and Japanese Teratology Society) “GUIDELINES FOR GENETIC TESTING” (2003). Available from: http://jshg.jp/resources/data/10academies.pdf

16. JSCG. Straightforward Explanatory Guidelines of ‘Chromosome and Gene Testing’ Supported by Longevity Social Welfare Fund, Welfare and Medical Service Agency . (2009).

17. Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan: Ethics Guidelines for Human Genome and Gene Analysis Studies’ (2008).

18. Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan: Guidelines for Clinical Studies on Gene Therapy (2008).

19. The Japan Medical Association, Japan. Report on ‘Genetic Medicine and Community Medical Care’ . Available from: http://jshg.jp/e/resources/data/jma.pdf

20. JSHG, JSLM, and Japanese Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standard (JCCS): Operation of Pharmacogenomic Testing . Available from: http://jshg.jp/resources/data/120702PGx.pdf

21. Guidelines for Genetic Tests and Diagnosis in Medicine . The Japanese Association of Medical Science, Japan (2011). Available from: http://jams.med.or.jp/guideline/genetics-diagnosis_e.pdf

22. LeRoy BS, Veach PM, Bartels BM. Genetic Counseling Practices . New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell (2010).

23. Uhlmann WR, Schuette JL, Yashar B. A Guide to Genetic Counseling . 2nd ed. New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell (2009).

24. Friedman JM, Blitzer MG, Davidson R, Elsas L, Fine B, Grant J, et al. ASHG report: report from the ASHG Inforrmation and Education Committee – medical school core curriculum in genetics. Am J Hum Genet (1995) 56 :535–7.

25. Niikawa N, Abe K. An Introduction to Medical Genetics . Tokyo: Nankodo Co. (2008).

26. WHO. Guidelines on Ethical Issues in Medical Genetics and the Provision of Genetic Services . Geneva, Switzerland (1995).

Keywords: genetic and chromosome testing, human and medical genetics, education, medical technologist, health professionals

Citation: Kohzaki H (2014) A proposal for clinical genetics (genetics in medicine) education for medical technologists and other health professionals in Japan. Front. Public Health 2 :128. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2014.00128

Received: 26 June 2014; Accepted: 11 August 2014; Published online: 25 August 2014.

Reviewed by:

Copyright: © 2014 Kohzaki. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Hidetsugu Kohzaki, Department of Cell Biology, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Shogoin-Kawahara-Machi 53, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan e-mail: charaznable.k@gmail.com

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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How to write a research proposal?

Devika rani duggappa.

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Address for correspondence: Dr. Devika Rani Duggappa, 314/2/5, Durganjali Nilaya, 1 st H Cross, 7 th Main, Subbanna Garden, Vijayanagar, Bengaluru - 560 040, Karnataka, India. E-mail: [email protected]

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.

Writing the proposal of a research work in the present era is a challenging task due to the constantly evolving trends in the qualitative research design and the need to incorporate medical advances into the methodology. The proposal is a detailed plan or ‘blueprint’ for the intended study, and once it is completed, the research project should flow smoothly. Even today, many of the proposals at post-graduate evaluation committees and application proposals for funding are substandard. A search was conducted with keywords such as research proposal, writing proposal and qualitative using search engines, namely, PubMed and Google Scholar, and an attempt has been made to provide broad guidelines for writing a scientifically appropriate research proposal.

Key words: Guidelines, proposal, qualitative, research

INTRODUCTION

A clean, well-thought-out proposal forms the backbone for the research itself and hence becomes the most important step in the process of conduct of research.[ 1 ] The objective of preparing a research proposal would be to obtain approvals from various committees including ethics committee [details under ‘Research methodology II’ section [ Table 1 ] in this issue of IJA) and to request for grants. However, there are very few universally accepted guidelines for preparation of a good quality research proposal. A search was performed with keywords such as research proposal, funding, qualitative and writing proposals using search engines, namely, PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus.

Five ‘C’s while writing a literature review

BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

A proposal needs to show how your work fits into what is already known about the topic and what new paradigm will it add to the literature, while specifying the question that the research will answer, establishing its significance, and the implications of the answer.[ 2 ] The proposal must be capable of convincing the evaluation committee about the credibility, achievability, practicality and reproducibility (repeatability) of the research design.[ 3 ] Four categories of audience with different expectations may be present in the evaluation committees, namely academic colleagues, policy-makers, practitioners and lay audiences who evaluate the research proposal. Tips for preparation of a good research proposal include; ‘be practical, be persuasive, make broader links, aim for crystal clarity and plan before you write’. A researcher must be balanced, with a realistic understanding of what can be achieved. Being persuasive implies that researcher must be able to convince other researchers, research funding agencies, educational institutions and supervisors that the research is worth getting approval. The aim of the researcher should be clearly stated in simple language that describes the research in a way that non-specialists can comprehend, without use of jargons. The proposal must not only demonstrate that it is based on an intelligent understanding of the existing literature but also show that the writer has thought about the time needed to conduct each stage of the research.[ 4 , 5 ]

CONTENTS OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

The contents or formats of a research proposal vary depending on the requirements of evaluation committee and are generally provided by the evaluation committee or the institution.

In general, a cover page should contain the (i) title of the proposal, (ii) name and affiliation of the researcher (principal investigator) and co-investigators, (iii) institutional affiliation (degree of the investigator and the name of institution where the study will be performed), details of contact such as phone numbers, E-mail id's and lines for signatures of investigators.

The main contents of the proposal may be presented under the following headings: (i) introduction, (ii) review of literature, (iii) aims and objectives, (iv) research design and methods, (v) ethical considerations, (vi) budget, (vii) appendices and (viii) citations.[ 4 ]

Introduction

It is also sometimes termed as ‘need for study’ or ‘abstract’. Introduction is an initial pitch of an idea; it sets the scene and puts the research in context.[ 6 ] The introduction should be designed to create interest in the reader about the topic and proposal. It should convey to the reader, what you want to do, what necessitates the study and your passion for the topic.[ 7 ] Some questions that can be used to assess the significance of the study are: (i) Who has an interest in the domain of inquiry? (ii) What do we already know about the topic? (iii) What has not been answered adequately in previous research and practice? (iv) How will this research add to knowledge, practice and policy in this area? Some of the evaluation committees, expect the last two questions, elaborated under a separate heading of ‘background and significance’.[ 8 ] Introduction should also contain the hypothesis behind the research design. If hypothesis cannot be constructed, the line of inquiry to be used in the research must be indicated.

Review of literature

It refers to all sources of scientific evidence pertaining to the topic in interest. In the present era of digitalisation and easy accessibility, there is an enormous amount of relevant data available, making it a challenge for the researcher to include all of it in his/her review.[ 9 ] It is crucial to structure this section intelligently so that the reader can grasp the argument related to your study in relation to that of other researchers, while still demonstrating to your readers that your work is original and innovative. It is preferable to summarise each article in a paragraph, highlighting the details pertinent to the topic of interest. The progression of review can move from the more general to the more focused studies, or a historical progression can be used to develop the story, without making it exhaustive.[ 1 ] Literature should include supporting data, disagreements and controversies. Five ‘C's may be kept in mind while writing a literature review[ 10 ] [ Table 1 ].

Aims and objectives

The research purpose (or goal or aim) gives a broad indication of what the researcher wishes to achieve in the research. The hypothesis to be tested can be the aim of the study. The objectives related to parameters or tools used to achieve the aim are generally categorised as primary and secondary objectives.

Research design and method

The objective here is to convince the reader that the overall research design and methods of analysis will correctly address the research problem and to impress upon the reader that the methodology/sources chosen are appropriate for the specific topic. It should be unmistakably tied to the specific aims of your study.

In this section, the methods and sources used to conduct the research must be discussed, including specific references to sites, databases, key texts or authors that will be indispensable to the project. There should be specific mention about the methodological approaches to be undertaken to gather information, about the techniques to be used to analyse it and about the tests of external validity to which researcher is committed.[ 10 , 11 ]

The components of this section include the following:[ 4 ]

Population and sample

Population refers to all the elements (individuals, objects or substances) that meet certain criteria for inclusion in a given universe,[ 12 ] and sample refers to subset of population which meets the inclusion criteria for enrolment into the study. The inclusion and exclusion criteria should be clearly defined. The details pertaining to sample size are discussed in the article “Sample size calculation: Basic priniciples” published in this issue of IJA.

Data collection

The researcher is expected to give a detailed account of the methodology adopted for collection of data, which include the time frame required for the research. The methodology should be tested for its validity and ensure that, in pursuit of achieving the results, the participant's life is not jeopardised. The author should anticipate and acknowledge any potential barrier and pitfall in carrying out the research design and explain plans to address them, thereby avoiding lacunae due to incomplete data collection. If the researcher is planning to acquire data through interviews or questionnaires, copy of the questions used for the same should be attached as an annexure with the proposal.

Rigor (soundness of the research)

This addresses the strength of the research with respect to its neutrality, consistency and applicability. Rigor must be reflected throughout the proposal.

It refers to the robustness of a research method against bias. The author should convey the measures taken to avoid bias, viz. blinding and randomisation, in an elaborate way, thus ensuring that the result obtained from the adopted method is purely as chance and not influenced by other confounding variables.

Consistency

Consistency considers whether the findings will be consistent if the inquiry was replicated with the same participants and in a similar context. This can be achieved by adopting standard and universally accepted methods and scales.

Applicability

Applicability refers to the degree to which the findings can be applied to different contexts and groups.[ 13 ]

Data analysis

This section deals with the reduction and reconstruction of data and its analysis including sample size calculation. The researcher is expected to explain the steps adopted for coding and sorting the data obtained. Various tests to be used to analyse the data for its robustness, significance should be clearly stated. Author should also mention the names of statistician and suitable software which will be used in due course of data analysis and their contribution to data analysis and sample calculation.[ 9 ]

Ethical considerations

Medical research introduces special moral and ethical problems that are not usually encountered by other researchers during data collection, and hence, the researcher should take special care in ensuring that ethical standards are met. Ethical considerations refer to the protection of the participants' rights (right to self-determination, right to privacy, right to autonomy and confidentiality, right to fair treatment and right to protection from discomfort and harm), obtaining informed consent and the institutional review process (ethical approval). The researcher needs to provide adequate information on each of these aspects.

Informed consent needs to be obtained from the participants (details discussed in further chapters), as well as the research site and the relevant authorities.

When the researcher prepares a research budget, he/she should predict and cost all aspects of the research and then add an additional allowance for unpredictable disasters, delays and rising costs. All items in the budget should be justified.

Appendices are documents that support the proposal and application. The appendices will be specific for each proposal but documents that are usually required include informed consent form, supporting documents, questionnaires, measurement tools and patient information of the study in layman's language.

As with any scholarly research paper, you must cite the sources you used in composing your proposal. Although the words ‘references and bibliography’ are different, they are used interchangeably. It refers to all references cited in the research proposal.

Successful, qualitative research proposals should communicate the researcher's knowledge of the field and method and convey the emergent nature of the qualitative design. The proposal should follow a discernible logic from the introduction to presentation of the appendices.

Financial support and sponsorship

Conflicts of interest.

There are no conflicts of interest.

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Excellent opening paragraph stating why is the research important and leading to the research goals

Clear and concise presentation of research aims \(questions\)

Research plan is well \ detailed starting from third paragraph.

Pronoun problem: who is the "w\ e"? Earlier, "I" is very clear, but this "we" lacks a clear antecedent.

Writing tip: good use of "signa\ l" words \("first," "second"\) to organize information and highlight key points.

Contributors: P. Pazos, Searle Center for Teaching Excellence and P. Hirsch, The Writing Program, [email protected]

Posted: 2008

TITLE: The Mitochondrial Stress Response and the Communication of Stress Responses Between Subcellular Compart\ ments

Compelling presentation of preparation from courses and prior lab experience.

Very detailed presentation of techni\ ques learned that are relevant to the project

Writing tip: "data" is a p\ lural word. Say, "The data suggest. . . " and "they [meaning the data] indicate."

Overall comments:

Good quality proposal overall. The author clearly explains the aims a\ nd methods to carry out those aims.

Research question: Analysis of mitochondria's unfolding protein response and its crosstalk with other folding envir\ onments in the cell.

Compelling presentation of prior experience in courses and labs. Could include specific techniques learned.

Good use of citations and references

Suggestions:

Should add headings to make it more readable and add some structure.