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Going Back To Fourth Grade To Write Successful Research Proposals

9/17/2014

 
What if the secret to writing successful research proposals were to go back to the basic lessons your fourth grade teacher taught you about writing? It can't possibly be that simple, can it? 

I just had a lovely dinner with my smart & wise friend Harriet Bulkeley. One of many good pieces of advice she gave me (this one picked up by joining a conversation she overheard on a train!) is to think over the answer to four things before beginning a research proposal or project: 

1. What do I want to do?
2. Who do I want to do it with? 
3. Where do I want to do it?  
4. Why do I want to do it? 

I said this sounded like a great way to teach research design to students, but as we discussed more, I realized researchers at every level could probably benefit from this advice, myself included. She noted that many people can only answer one of these questions when they approach a university research office or a funding agency with a research idea. They might hope that the answers will get clarified in working through the project, but this is rarely the case. In projects that haven't clarified these key points at the outstart are likely to get bogged down in these issues through the course of research. A great reminder to think through the basics before committing your precious and limited time. 

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  • Home
  • About
  • Book
    • UNDER THE SKY WE MAKE
    • Book Seminar
    • Teach UNDER THE SKY WE MAKE
    • Discussion Questions
    • Book Clubs
    • Support the Book
    • Press Kit & Images
    • Request from Local Bookstore/Library
    • How to order outside US/Canada
    • Behind the Scenes
    • If My Book Were Music
  • Research
    • Lab Members
    • Peer-Reviewed Publications
    • Flying Less >
      • The Takeoff of Staying on the Ground
      • Policy Briefs
      • Ingen ny tid för avgång
      • Academics Flying Less
    • Radically Reducing Lund's Emissions
    • Climate Solutions >
      • What Can I Do? 2 >
        • What Can I Do?
        • High School Teaching Materials
        • Fyra klimatsmarta livsstilsval
        • Press Release: 4 Lifestyle Choices That Most Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
        • The Climate Mitigation Gap: Study & Video Abstract
        • Study FAQs
      • Climate Science 101
      • Climate Policy >
        • IPCC Report on 1.5°
        • Kims Klimatval
        • COP21 (Paris Agreement)
      • Farmer adaptation
      • Harnessing biodiversity
    • Climate Education
    • Sustainable Land >
      • Global land use
      • European farming systems
      • Swedish land use
      • Ecosystem Services & OPERAs
      • REDD+
      • Land Acquisitions
    • Sustainable Food >
      • Urban Food Forestry
      • Local food in Iceland
      • One Great Meal
      • Dietary choices & climate change
      • Crop yields & climate
    • Wine, Climate, & Sustainability >
      • Wine & Climate: Impacts & Solutions
      • Wine Diversity for Climate Adaptation
      • Wine yields & quality under climate change
      • Farmer climate adaptation
      • Vineyard ecosystems & landscapes
      • European Wine Case Studies (OPERAs)
    • For Kids (K-12)
  • Writing
    • Newsletter
    • Peer-Reviewed Publications
    • Magazines & Popular Science
    • Blog
  • Speaking
  • Teaching
    • Teaching Overview
    • Climate Change Curriculum
    • We Can Fix It World Cafe >
      • We Can Fix It World Cafe 2017
      • We Can Fix It World Cafe 2016
      • We Can Fix It World Cafe 2015
      • We Can Fix It World Cafe 2014
    • Courses >
      • Writing for Change >
        • Course Readings
        • Apply
        • Course Information
    • Advice for Students
    • Peer Writing Tutors >
      • Instructions for Peer Tutors
      • Apply to be a writing tutor!
    • Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
    • Early Career
    • R Tutorials >
      • R tutorial 1: Basic calculations and graphs
      • R tutorial 2: Data Visualization
    • Student-Led Exams >
      • Simplified Self Grading
      • DIY Exam Teaching Notes
      • Peer Grading
      • Self Grading
  • Activism
  • Contact