Dr. Madighi Jacob (I hope all is well im Beautiful PH). I just want to add to what you already know, and I hope you share with your students. . While the "what, why, how" framework can be a useful starting point for introducing research basics, it's crucial to recognize its limitations. As research proposals become more complex, they demand a far more sophisticated and comprehensive approach, moving beyond simple questions.

The purpose and complexity of research proposals can vary dramatically! While a simple "what, why, how" framework might suffice for a basic school assignments, it falls short when addressing large-scale, complex research proposals.

For example:

1. School Research Proposals: A Stepping Stone

Focus: Introducing fundamental research skills, like formulating a clear question, finding relevant information, and presenting findings coherently.

Scope: Often limited to existing knowledge, relying heavily on secondary sources like books and websites.

Therefore "What, Why, How" Applicability:Can be a useful starting point, providing a basic structure for beginners.

What: What specific topic will you explore?

Why: Why is this topic interesting or important to learn about?

How: How will you gather information (e.g., library research, simple surveys)?

2. Complex Research Proposals: A Different League

Focus: Generating new knowledge, addressing significant theoretical or practical problems, often with real-world implications.

Scope: Often interdisciplinary, involving extensive literature reviews, rigorous methodologies, data collection and analysis, ethical considerations, and potential impact assessment.

"What, Why, How" Inadequacies: The tripartite structure is far too simplistic to encompass the depth and breadth required:

Beyond "What":

Defining the Research Gap: Thoroughly analyzing existing literature to identify unanswered questions or unresolved contradictions.

Formulating Research Questions/Hypotheses: Developing specific, testable inquiries that guide the research process.

Theoretical Framework: Grounding the research within existing theories or proposing new ones to explain phenomena and interpret findings.

Beyond "Why":

Significance and Contribution: Articulating the potential impact of the research on knowledge, practice, or policy.

Originality and Innovation: Highlighting the novel aspects of the research and its contribution to the field.

Ethical Considerations: Addressing potential risks or benefits to participants, ensuring ethical data collection and analysis.

Beyond "How":

Research Design: Selecting the most appropriate methodology (e.g., experimental, quasi-experimental, observational, qualitative) to answer the research questions.

Data Collection and Analysis: Detailing specific methods for gathering and analyzing data, ensuring rigor, validity, and reliability.

Timeline and Feasibility: Providing a realistic timeline, outlining key milestones, resource allocation, and potential challenges.

Dissemination Plan: Describing how research findings will be shared with relevant audiences (e.g., publications, presentations, policy briefs).

I hope these examples explain, why “proposals are not created equal”, however the triptate you presented is a good starting point, not just for research proposals, but for some daily tasks in our lives