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GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING A RESEARCH PROJECT

The purpose of the following words is to present some ideas and suggestions that may
to serve as assistance for the development of a research project. The preparation of said project
it is not a task that follows a single scheme or guide in a rigid manner but rather depends on the
research question, of the chosen methodological model, and of the underlying theoretical framework itself the
The scheme may vary. Despite these differences, there are a number of basic steps that usually
to respect in all research projects. We will refer to those steps in this
proposal that mainly targets those students less familiar with the processes of
research.

A project is something like a sketch or model of the research that someone intends to carry out.
In our case, we will talk about a project carried out by an undergraduate student supervised
by a tutor or teacher. The objective is therefore to prepare a document that allows for
both analyze and discuss the path that can be taken to develop the study.

It is important to clearly understand the difference between conducting a research project and a
Essay.

The goal of a project and a research report is to inquire about some aspect based on the
collection of 'hard' data that we do for this purpose, as well as informing about the process and results of that
study. The structure of a report or research project is usually very standardized,
being subject to the rules and grammar of the scientific community. The plot and central axis of
The project or study consists of the data that has been collected and its analysis, being the review of
literature a means for the development of the project.

An essay, on the other hand, presents quite distinct characteristics that we should not confuse with a
research. In the essay, ideas and arguments are selected around a theme or thesis.
database that comes from a literature review. There is no original fieldwork that
interpret. The structure of an essay is also quite flexible, with the literature review being the
key of the same.

Let's focus on the research project. A project usually includes at least the
Title
study, Theoretical framework or literature review, Research methodology, Design of
Study
Bibliographic references and Annexes.
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INDEX

Guidelines for developing a research project........................... .. 3

1‐ Title......................................................................................................... .. 4
2. Introduction ...
3. Origin and Justification of the study............................................................. ... 7
4. Definition of the problem, Purposes and Objectives of the research work. 8
5. Theoretical Framework or Literature Review........................................................... 12
5.1. The indexes of specialized journals. ................................................ 13
5.2. Thesis Consultation ......................................................... 15
5.3. Searches in databases such as ERIC, EURISED or REDINET........... 17
5.4. Inquiry of articles, documents, and electronic journals................... ...... 21
5.5. The use of a program for reference management: the database of
data………………………………………………………………………………. 24
6. Research methodology........................................................ 27
6.1. Research Design. ................................................................................ 28
7. Presentation of results............................................................................. 34
8. Conclusions................................................................... .............................. 34
9. Scope and Limitations
10. Bibliography.................................................................................................... 35
11. Annexes........................................................................................................... 36
12. Formal aspects..........................................................................................37
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TITLE

Generally, when giving a title to a research project, we move between two...

poles: those with descriptive titles that explicitly indicate the content of the
project (the most common) and clearly and precisely express what it consists of
work and those other creative titles, which tend to provide a vision
more personal, symbolic or metaphorical of the study topic. Between both poles
we can talk about descriptive-creative intermediate titles that combine a
descriptive part and another creative.

INTRODUCTION

Normally, introductions are usually written at the end of the work when the
The project is ready. But that should not prevent the draft of the study from being done.
a clarifying effort in which the work is anticipated and presented.
We can also talk about different types and ways to approach the
Introduction to the study. An introduction can simply be a presentation.
simplified version of the work that will be done in developing the Project (something like the
abstract or summary of the work.

Generally speaking, we should think of the introduction as a space

addressed to the reader in which we inform what is intended to be done in the Project of
research. It is advisable to write a first version that presents in a
clear language the general objective of the work and the more specific goals that are
they pursue (without it becoming a list of objectives). It often also includes a
synthetic reference to the state of the issue (how it currently stands the
field of study of the chosen area). Finally, a description is usually included.
brief of each part of the project, which serve as a reading guide for
potential reader.

ORIGIN AND JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY

This section explains and justifies the purpose of the study from various perspectives: social,
professional, practical, academic, political, personal, etc. It is also about making the reader see the
opportunity for study and to make explicit the relevance of the proposed work as a response
to the identified needs. It may include a reference to personal or professional connection.
of the work for its author.

DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM, PURPOSES, AND OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH WORK

It is advisable at the beginning of the project to describe the reasons that lead us to the
carrying out a specific investigation, in other words, defining the problem to be investigated. For
Hello, once the reasons that motivate the opportunity for research (justification) have been indicated, there are
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referring to the research problem, its viability, purposes, general objective, and objectives
specific.
Some important questions we can ask ourselves in this phase are the following:
Is it a relevant problem?
Who will be the beneficiaries of the results?
Do we have sufficient knowledge and experience about the research methodology?
Do we have easy access to the field of study?
Is it a novel and original topic?
Is the project respectful and does it comply with the required ethical principles?

On the other hand, the statement of the research problem can be interrogative or declarative. The
first expressed in the form of a question, for example: How do educational centers improve? The
second is manifested as a purpose, for example:
We intend to understand how the improvement processes of educational centers develop in order to
investigate its impact on their organizational learning. In any case, although there are
those who opt for one or the other form of statement are dealing with different formats for the same
Purpose: to make known what is desired to be inquired.

In addition, the problem to be investigated must consider the resources of time, access to information, the
degree of difficulty and, ultimately, the feasibility of the project. In this sense, we must avoid the
problems of a very general nature that contain too many variables. Sometimes, even seeming
the viability of the project is evident, so many variables appear in the study that they can lead to
make data processing more difficult, even going so far as to invest in resources that will
prove to be useless or not very appropriate.

At this point, we can answer the following question: What is the purpose of the
project? Once the origin of our research, its justification, and the problem is made explicit
research, both the general objective and the specific ones must be raised and developed. The first
to make known the underlying intention of the study. The general objective points to what is desired.
to achieve with the research as a whole, and from it, specific objectives are derived. Therefore
The specific objectives are partial objectives that must be achieved to accomplish the overarching goal.
general. Objectives are stated with action verbs and are usually written in the infinitive.
Some requirements when setting objectives are that they should be realistic and consistent.
relevant, clear, and well-written.

LITERATURE REVIEW OR THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The literature review confronts the student with an initial decision-making process.
about what to study/review. It involves selecting and addressing the fields of study that
they will serve as pillars for the proposed research problem.

The objective of this section is for the student, and later the reader, to know in what
the situation is the field of study, so that one becomes familiar with the terminology and the
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main theoretical concepts in that area, that approach the currents of
research and study within that field to understand why the
the author will lean towards some ideas and not others, as well as providing evidence that the
The researcher masters and navigates the subject with ease.

In any literature review of a research study, it is necessary to review - and it is worth mentioning the
redundancy - the basic and preliminary studies that have already been done or are in progress
development, on the same topic of our work. Otherwise, we ignore what the
The scientific community has already done regarding the topic we are addressing.

The literature review does not have to be a mere encyclopedic reproduction of

study theme. The researcher can offer their particular vision and arrangement of the
theme as long as it is justified through the review itself.

Functions of a literature review:

Provide a conceptual framework
Analyze and understand the state of the issue.
Provide guidelines and suggestions on the approach, the method, the instruments
and the data analysis.
Search for new approaches to addressing educational issues.
Make an estimation about the chances of success, as well as of the
meaning and usefulness of the results.
Inform properly in order to accurately formulate the definitions, the
assumptions, limitations, and research hypotheses.