Research is just another form of problem solving, and can be described as a continuosly repeating cycle of enquiry. Starting with a real world problem, new insights are added through research. This new knowledge informs the understanding or resolution of the problem, and defines the questions that subsequent research could usefully address.
The research protocol is one of the critical steps in this pathway of enquiry.

There are four main reasons, preparing a research protocol is useful (In addition to the fact that I need to generate marks from its completion for your Research Methods course). These include its role as a Road Map, showing it is Good Science, has Good Ethics and showing what Resources it requires.

This shows the reviewers and your supervisor that you know what you are doing. It is a pragmatic way to check the whole thing is viable. It is also your guide to carrying out each step of the research process.

From the core logic of the hypothesis to the methods of implementing the research, the science must be right. And reviewers must be able see this by reading your protocol. It must sho the connection between your research and existing evidence in the literature. It must show coherence between the method and the research questions asked.

After a history of sometimes frightening abuse of health research subjects, research ethics is major concern. The protocol must identify the ethical challenges in the proposed research and show how these will be addressed. Specific ethical clearance of every research proposal is now an essential administrative before registration and approval can be obtained.

This is the real cash-strapped world and your research will require a variery of resources to ensure its completion. From time, paper, travel, instrumentation to expert statistical help, the materials needed must be identified, scheduled, costed and addressed to ensure the study is viable.

In writing your research protocol there is a generic tick list of components you need to address. Not all may be applicable to your study but you must have clear strategies to deal with those that do apply. Simply describe what you will do.

These are obvious but may need to be refined, clarified or articulated more precisely than when you started thinking about your research idea for the first tim. This first set of items sets up the logic of the research and is perhaps the most important part of the whole research proposal.
This section might include statement of an hypothesis. It provides the foundation for the methods selected and described in the next section.

How will you carry out the research? What will you actually do? This spells out in detail what implementing the research entails.

What kind of study is planned? The sample size, selectionprocess, inclusion/exclusion criteria etc must all be detailed. The method of data collection, including instruments, questionnaires, calibration, validity, reliability, variability management etc must all be laid out here. How will the data be cleaned, processed, summarised along with dummy tables or graphs should be explained clearly.

Issues of research subject autonomy, anonymity, confidentiality, consent, information, right tro withdraw and any other relevant concerns must be addressed here. Appropriate draft information sheets and consent forms and possibly other permission letters must be included in the appendix and referenced here.

The physical resources necessary for successful implementation and completion of the project must be spelt out here. A time line, equipment, travel, expert help (statistician costs) must be shown. All additional documentation and a comprehensive list of references round out the protocol document (of around 10-12 pages).

So you have a coherent viable plan that you and your supervisor think is on the right trrack: What happens next? There is a structured formal process ahead and each step must be completed successfully before you can begin your research.

Perhaps this is also obvious. If you are signed up for this module, you need to hand in three pieces of work for me to mark and these will get you the academic credits you require. the deadlines are on the schedule and the marking rubrics are outlined. Contact me for any queries about this.

Each of these must be submitted on deadline to get marked. In addition I will give you feedback to help you refine your proposal so that is stands a good chance of registration and ethics clearance.

Taking it further is a task you now share with your supervisor. When you are both happy with the proposal it can be submitted to the protocol approval process. At this stage several forms need to be completed (SR1 and MOU).

The protocol presentation is a requirement shared by this course and the DRC. Next, submit edited final protocol with SR1 to DRC. They may ask for ammendments to be done and will send to SRC. Once SRC approaves it your project will be registered and ethics clearance certificate issued. And you can no start the research. Last task is to register Title for degree purposes and submit MOU with your supervisor to DHD.

Now you can proceed with your data collection and other work required to complete and write up the project for a thesis, a publication, and/or a conference paper.