THE 12 PARTS OF A RESEARCH PROTOCOL - SCIENCE - 2025

The parts of a research protocol are each of the elements necessary to carry out the research. They are the common procedures that investigators must perform.

A research protocol is considered the work plan that the researcher must follow. You must identify what you want to do, from what perspective it will be done and how it will be done.

The research protocol is serious work, therefore it must be complete, reliable and valid.

It is usually made up of the following elements: a title, a summary, the statement of the problem, the objectives of the research, the theoretical framework, the methodology and techniques used, the analysis of the results, the bibliographic references and the annexes.

However, depending on the type of investigation, other parts are added, among which are: the schedule, the budget, among others.

Parts of a research protocol and their characteristics

The parts of a research protocol are a guide that serves to orient the researcher. This does not mean that it should be followed to the letter, because its application will depend on the methodological approach of the researchers.

However, elements such as the title, abstract, rationale, objectives, and research methodology should always be present.

The parts of a research protocol are described below.

1- Title of the research

All research must have a precise and concise title that allows the objective of the work being carried out to be clearly identified.

The title should specify in a few words where, how and when the investigation will be conducted.

2- Summary of the investigation

The research summary should provide the reader with a clear idea about the objective of the research, the justification, the methodology used and the results obtained. It is usually 200 or 300 words long

3- The problem statement

In this part of the research, the problem is framed in a theoretical context, delimiting the object of study and the question (s) is made known depending on the way in which the problem is presented.

For example, when a qualitative research is carried out, more than one questions may arise.

4- Justification

The justification is the presentation of the arguments for which the researcher decided to carry out the research.

The justification specifies the importance of the problem, the social relevance (who is affected) and the usefulness of the research (who benefits from its conduct).

5- Research objectives

Research objectives represent the goals that the researcher wishes to complete upon completion of the research. They are written with verbs in the infinitive.

The objectives are those that govern the research process and are divided into general objective and specific objectives.

5.1- General Objective

The overall objective specifies what you want to achieve with the research. Technically it is the title but with an infinitive verb.

To write a general objective correctly, you must be clear about what you want to do, who will be involved in the study, where, when and for what period of time the research will be carried out.

5.2- Specific Objectives

To be able to answer the problem, it is necessary to divide it into parts in order to facilitate its study (the specific objectives are the representation of that division).

Then, the specific objectives consist of the decomposition and logical sequence of the general objective.

Specific objectives must be clear, consistent and achievable. These must be written in detail.

6- Theoretical framework (theoretical foundation)

In the theoretical framework, all the theoretical foundations that support the research are presented.

In it are the background of the research, the theoretical bases, the legal bases, the philosophical bases (if necessary) and the definition of basic terms.

6.1- Research Background

The background of the investigation is made up of all previous work that is related to the research problem. These must be analyzed by the researcher.

In the writing of the research antecedents, the relationship that exists between each antecedent and the study being carried out must be written.

6.2- Theoretical bases

The theoretical bases are composed of all those topics that are related to the research.

For example: in a study on drugs, the theoretical bases would be the types of drugs (their classification), the effects of drugs, the negative consequences of drug use, among others.

6.3- Definition of basic terms

This part describes each of the complex compression terms that are presented in the research, in order to make it easier for the reader to understand them.

7-Research methodology

The research methodology consists of explaining how the study will be carried out.

It describes the design and type of research, data collection and analysis techniques, and delimits the population and sample (if necessary).

8- Analysis of results

In this part the researcher must present the results of the research. These must be related to the proposed objectives.

The results can be presented qualitatively and quantitatively, it all depends on the methodology used to carry out the research.

9- Conclusions

In the conclusions, the responses to each of the specific objectives proposed are presented and therefore the general objective is answered.

10- Bibliographic references

Here is a list of all the bibliographies used in the development of the research, both those read and those that were cited in the work.

11- Annexes

Here you will find the complementary information of the investigation, such as the data collection instruments, the instructions, among others.

12- Other parts of a research protocol

12.1- Schedules

The schedule is the representation of an activity plan, where each of the activities that must be carried out to complete the investigation are shown.

The activities range from the bibliographic review of topics that are related to the research to the writing and presentation of the same.

12.2- Budget

The budget details the cost of the research, that is, it describes what the researcher will spend on materials, equipment, technology, infrastructure, among others.

References

1. Researchar proposal. Retrieved on October 20, 2017, from wikipedia.org
2. Writing the research protocol. Retrieved on October 20, 2017, from ctscbiostatics.ucdavis.edu
3. Key elements of the research proposal. Retrieved on October 20, 2017, from bcps.org
4. Recommended format for a research protocol. Retrieved on October 20, 2017, from who.int
5. Request for proposal. Retrieved on October 20, 2017, from wikipedia.org
6. How to prepare a research proposal. Retrieved on October 20, 2017, from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
7. Sample research protocol template. Retrieved on October 20, 2017, from resident360.nejm.org