Proposals

Copyright 1995 Rich Halstead-Nussloch and Bob Harbort
All Rights Reserved

Proposals play an important role in computing and computer science. They describe what computer scientists and professionals plan to do in research or in providing a service. Since the proposal is almost always the basis for approval and funding, they are a "lifeblood" product. Thus, you should spend significant time and thought in every proposal you write.

Similar to other documents we discuss, the proposal requires a stated goal, a coherent path of inquiry to achieve the goal, and persuasive rhetoric. It goes without saying that a quality piece of science or technology must be the goal and product of your project. The way to a quality product is through a coherent, logical path of inquiry or action. This book describes the major research methods--the inquiry paths--used in computer science.

However, it is not enough to have a good goal and a coherent path of inquiry to achieve it. The proposal's rhetoric must convince the reader that you have a coherent, efficient, and effective inquiry path, which will achieve the stated goal. The rhetoric must also convince the reader to approve and/or fund your project. So, the rhetoric must aim at both the business and the science of your project, and you must put into your proposal: a goal, an inquiry path, and good rhetoric.

In our experience, winning proposals in computer science include a half-dozen things:

1. A meaningful Title
2. An Introduction that sets the stage and also the direction of the inquiry
3. A Review of Related Research to verify to the reader that the "wheel is not being reinvented"
4. A Proposal for Achievement, terms, assumptions and information goal
5. A Description of Methods, cast in terms of the path of inquiry or action
6. A Description of Possible Results and Their Implications, cast in terms of possible outcomes of the study and the implications for business or real-world, practical values

Here are some tips and guidelines for each of the sections of a proposal:

• Title Design a title for your project that will communicate what you plan to do in the project, and also motivate the reader to read the proposal.
  • Dos:
    • Keep the title short.
    • Relate the title to your goal.
    • Use the active voice
  • Don'ts:
    • Include details
    • Raise expectations too high, e.g., A Perpetual Motion Machine for $1.98
    • Lie or mislead
• Introduction Set the stage for your proposal and also describe the direction of the inquiry. Include:
  • Your information goal (most frequently called the problem statement)
  • The significance of attaining the goal (solving the problem)
  • The relation to other goals, issues, and problems
  • The purpose of your study relative to the goal or problem
• Review of Related Research Verify to the reader that the "wheel is not being reinvented," and establish the background situation for your research. For each piece of research reviewed, include:
  • The source with bibliographic citation
  • If on the Internet, how to access it
  • Summary review and critique, with linkage to your proposal and information goal
• Proposal Define your terms, state your assumptions, and elaborate on your information goal (either questions, a set of hypotheses, or a problem statement). Further discuss your information goal in terms of business need and/or practical value.
• A Description of Methods In your description of the research methods you will use in terms of the path of inquiry or action you will use. Describe the type of method(s) you will use, e.g., case study, unit test, etc. Describe the time frame, e.g., over the course of 3 weeks, we will study the performance of the Financial Department's LAN.
• A Description of Possible Results and Their Implications Describe the possible outcomes of the study and their implications for business or real-world, practical values. Include:
  • Possible results and their possible interpretations
  • The limitations on the interpretation of the results
  • The ability to generalize the results beyond the current situation and sample
  • Implications for the general area
  • Suggestions for next step