Day 9: Research Proposal Part 1 - Nurses Revision Uganda
DAY 9
📅 Nov 18 (Mon)

📝 RESEARCH PROPOSAL PART 1

DNE 122: Writing & Research Methods

  • Topic Formulation & FINER Criteria
  • Preliminary Pages (Title, Declaration, Approval, etc.)
  • Chapter 1: Introduction (Background, Problem, Objectives)
  • Chapter 2: Literature Review (Search Strategies & Sources)
💡 RESEARCH IS SIMPLE! It's just asking a question and finding the answer systematically. Don't fear it!
🎯 EXAM TIP: UHPAB loves scenarios on topic formulation and FINER criteria. Master the order!
🧠 MNEMONIC: B-P-O-Q-S-J = Background, Problem, Objectives, Questions, Significance, Justification
🌟 "A good proposal = half done thesis. Write it well!"
🙏 "Write the vision; make it plain." - Habakkuk 2:2

🎯 1. TOPIC FORMULATION (The Most Important Step!)

Your research topic is like a map—it shows exactly where you're going. A good topic is specific, measurable, and relevant to nursing in Uganda.

⚠️ IMPORTANT ORDER FOR DIPLOMA STUDENTS: The standard format for UHPAB exams is:

Independent Variable → Dependent Variable → Study Population → Study Area

Remember: "What affects WHAT in WHO and WHERE?"

📐 THE 4 PARTS EXPLAINED (SIMPLE!):

1. INDEPENDENT VARIABLE (IV): The CAUSE or factor you think is causing the problem. What you're investigating.
Examples: Knowledge, attitude, practice, training, age, education level, income
2. DEPENDENT VARIABLE (DV): The EFFECT or outcome you're measuring. The problem itself.
Examples: Infection rates, compliance, mortality, morbidity, exposure, prevention
3. STUDY POPULATION: WHO you are studying (specific group).
Examples: Nurses, midwives, patients, mothers, TB patients, HIV patients
4. STUDY AREA: WHERE the study happens (be specific: district, hospital, region).
Examples: Mulago Hospital, Kampala District, Arua Regional Referral Hospital, Kabale District
✨ PERFECT EXAMPLE (Use this format!):

"DETERMINANTS OF TUBERCULOSIS INFECTION EXPOSURE AMONG STAFF AT MASAKA REGIONAL REFERRAL HOSPITAL IN MASAKA CITY, UGANDA."

  • IV: Determinants (knowledge, protective measures, training)
  • DV: Tuberculosis infection exposure
  • Population: Staff (health workers)
  • Area: Masaka Regional Referral Hospital, Masaka City
📝 More Examples for Practice:

Example 1: "FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH POSTNATAL CARE UTILIZATION AMONG MOTHERS IN KABALE DISTRICT, UGANDA"
IV: Factors (distance, cost, education) | DV: Postnatal care utilization | Population: Mothers | Area: Kabale District

Example 2: "KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF INFECTION PREVENTION AMONG NURSES IN JINJA REGIONAL REFERRAL HOSPITAL"
IV: Knowledge and practice | DV: Infection prevention | Population: Nurses | Area: Jinja Regional Referral Hospital

Example 3: "ATTITUDES TOWARDS FAMILY PLANNING AMONG WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE IN ARUA DISTRICT"
IV: Attitudes | DV: Family planning use | Population: Women of reproductive age | Area: Arua District

❌ COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID:
  • Too broad: "Diseases in Uganda" (What diseases? Who? Where?)
  • Too narrow: "One patient's experience with malaria in Kisenyi" (Can't generalize)
  • Vague variables: "Factors affecting things" (Be specific!)
  • No population: "In hospitals" (Which staff? Which hospital?)

✅ 2. FINER CRITERIA (Is Your Topic Good Enough?)

FINER is a checklist to test if your research topic is worth doing. Each letter stands for an important question.

FINER = Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, Relevant
📋 FINER Explained Simply:
  1. F = FEASIBLE: Can you actually DO this research?
    • Do you have time? (Diploma students usually 6-12 months)
    • Do you have money? (Transport, printing, data collection)
    • Can you access the population? (Get permission, reach participants)
    • Do you have skills? (Can you analyze data?)
    • Example: "All nurses in Uganda" = NOT feasible. "Nurses in Kawempe Hospital" = Feasible.
  2. I = INTERESTING: Are YOU excited about this topic?
    • Will you stay motivated for months?
    • Does it solve a real problem you see in practice?
    • Example: "Handwashing compliance" = Interesting if you see patients getting infections!
  3. N = NOVEL (New): Does it add NEW knowledge?
    • Has someone done this exact study in same place?
    • Can you do it in a new population or area?
    • Can you look at it from a new angle?
    • Example: "TB among nurses in Mulago" = Not new. "TB among cleaners in Mulago" = More novel.
  4. E = ETHICAL: Is it RIGHT to do this research?
    • Will you protect participant privacy?
    • Will you get informed consent?
    • Can it cause harm to participants?
    • Example: Asking about illegal abortions = Ethical issues. Need anonymity.
    • Must get IRB approval (Institutional Review Board) or UNCST in Uganda!
  5. R = RELEVANT: Does it matter to nursing in Uganda?
    • Will results help nurses or patients?
    • Does it align with health priorities? (NDP, Health Sector Plan)
    • Will it influence policy or practice?
    • Example: "Nurse burnout during COVID" = Very relevant! "Patient food preferences" = Less relevant.
🎯 TEST YOUR TOPIC WITH FINER:

Topic: "Factors affecting uptake of cervical cancer screening among women in Gulu District"

  • F: YES - feasible (women accessible, funds for transport)
  • I: YES - high cervical cancer rates in Uganda
  • N: MAYBE - check if done in Gulu before
  • E: YES - ethical if you protect privacy
  • R: YES - aligns with cancer control program

✅ This topic passes FINER!

📄 3. PRELIMINARY PAGES (Before Chapter 1)

These are the pages that come BEFORE your main research content. They are like the "front cover" of your work.

⚠️ PAGE NUMBERING RULE (IMPORTANT!):
• Title Page: NO NUMBER (unnumbered)
• All other preliminary pages: Use Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, v, vi, vii, viii, ix, x...)
• Chapter 1 onwards: Use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4...)
📋 SOME PRELIMINARY PAGES
  1. Title Page (unnumbered)
  2. Declaration Page (ii)
  3. Approval Page (iii)
  4. Dedication (optional, iv)
  5. Acknowledgements (v)
  6. Abbreviations/Acronyms (vi)
  7. Table of Contents (vii)
  8. List of Tables (viii)
  9. List of Figures (ix)
  10. Abstract (x)
📝 What Goes on Each Page?

1. TITLE PAGE (Page 1 - No number):

FACTORS INFLUENCING UTILIZATION OF POSTNATAL CARE SERVICES AMONG MOTHERS IN KABALE DISTRICT, UGANDA
By
NURSES REVISION
Registration No: UG/DIP/NUR/2021/001
A Research Proposal Submitted to Uganda Health Professionals Assessment Board (UHPAB) in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of Diploma in Nursing
October 2025

2. DECLARATION PAGE (Page ii):

"I, [Your Name], declare that this research proposal is my original work and has never been submitted to any institution for any award. All sources have been acknowledged."

Signature: _____________ Date: _____________

3. APPROVAL PAGE (Page iii):

This proposal has been approved by:

Chairperson IRC: Dr. [Name] _____________ Date: _____________

Research Supervisor: _____________ Date: _____________

Principal: _____________ Date: _____________

Candidate: _____________ Date: _____________

also there signatures

4. DEDICATION PAGE (Page iv):

To God Almighty, my parents, and my lecturers, nurses revison..." (Optional but common)

5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (Page v):

"I wish to thank my supervisor, the hospital administration, study participants, nurses revision uganda..."

6. ABBREVIATIONS (Page vi):

UNMEB - Uganda Nurses and Midwives Examinations Board

WHO - World Health Organization

MOH - Ministry of Health

DV - Dependent Variable

IV - Independent Variable

7. TABLE OF CONTENTS (Page vii):

Lists all chapters and major headings with page numbers

8 & 9. LISTS (Pages viii-ix):

List of Tables (if you have tables)

List of Figures (if you have charts/diagrams)

10. ABSTRACT (Page x):

Summary of entire proposal

📌 NOTE: For RESEARCH PROPOSAL (not final report), you typically don't include Abstract, List of Tables, or List of Figures yet. These come in final dissertation.

📖 4. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

This is the heart of your proposal. It explains WHY your research is needed and WHAT you plan to do.

🧠 CHAPTER 1 ORDER: "I-B-P-O-Q-S-J"
Introduction-Background → Problem Statement → Objectives → Questions → Significance → Justification
📋 COMPONENTS OF CHAPTER 1:
  1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY: The story behind your research.
    • Start broad: Global situation of the problem
    • Regional/Africa perspective
    • Uganda national situation (use MOH statistics)
    • Local situation (your study area)
    • Gap that needs filling

    Example: "TB is global problem... Africa has high rates... Uganda MOH reported X cases... Masaka Hospital reported Y cases among staff... No study has looked at WHY staff are getting exposed..."

  2. PROBLEM STATEMENT: The "pain" you're solving. 1-2 paragraphs.
    • What's the current problem?
    • What are the consequences?
    • What is the knowledge gap?
    • Why is it urgent?

    Example: "Despite TB control programs, health workers at Masaka hospital continue to get TB. In 2023, 15 staff were diagnosed. This affects service delivery and staff morale. No study has identified the specific risk factors in this hospital."

  3. GENERAL OBJECTIVE: One broad statement of what you want to achieve.
    Format: "To assess/investigate/determine/explore [topic] among [population] in [area]"

    "To determine the factors associated with tuberculosis infection exposure among staff at Masaka Regional Referral Hospital."

  4. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: 3-5 specific, measurable tasks (SMART).
    Always start with action verbs: To assess, To identify, To determine, To explore

    1. To assess the healthworker related factors associated with tuberculosis infection exposure among staff (What they know)

    2. To identify the facility related factors associated with tuberculosis infection exposure among staff (What they do)

    3. To determine the patient related factors associated with tuberculosis infection exposure among staff (Link between IV and DV)

  5. RESEARCH QUESTIONS: Questions that match your objectives.

    1. What is the healthworker related factors associated with tuberculosis infection exposure among staf?

    3. What are the facility related factors associated with tuberculosis infection exposure among staff?

    4. What are the patient related factors associated with tuberculosis infection exposure among staff?

    Note: Each question matches one specific objective!

  6. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: Who benefits and how?

    • To Hospital: Will inform infection control policies

    • To Staff: Will identify protection gaps to address

    • To Patients: Will improve safety and quality of care

    • To Policy: Will contribute to national TB control guidelines

    • To Researchers: Will add to body of knowledge

  7. JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY: Why THIS research is needed NOW.

    • High TB burden: Uganda is among high TB burden countries

    • Vulnerable workforce: Health workers at high risk

    • Knowledge gap: No local data from this hospital

    • Resource constraints: Need evidence to prioritize interventions

    • Alignment: Supports MOH strategic plan and WHO guidelines

📊 WORD COUNT TIP: Chapter 1 is usually 8-12 pages. Background = 3-4 pages, Problem Statement = 1-2 pages, rest = 1 page each.

📚 5. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

This is where you show what others have already studied about your topic. You're not reinventing the wheel—you're building on existing knowledge!

LITERATURE REVIEW: A summary and analysis of existing research on your topic. It shows the "gap" your study will fill.

🤔 WHY DO LITERATURE REVIEW? (Uses)

  • To see what is already known about your topic (avoid duplication)
  • To identify research gaps (what hasn't been studied)
  • To learn from others' methods (how they did their research)
  • To support your arguments with evidence (cite experts)
  • To develop theoretical framework (what theory guides your study)
  • To compare your findings later (in final dissertation)
🧠 MNEMONIC: "GIMSET"
Gaps | Ideas | Methods | Support | Theory | Evaluation | Compare

🔍 SOURCES OF LITERATURE (Where to Find Information)

📚 PRIMARY SOURCES (Original, First-hand):
  • Published research articles in journals (PubMed, Google Scholar)
  • Theses and dissertations (university libraries)
  • Conference papers and proceedings
  • Government reports (MOH, WHO, UBOS)
  • Official documents (UNMEB, UNEPI)

Advantage: Original data, reliable, peer-reviewed

Disadvantage: Can be technical, requires internet access

📖 SECONDARY SOURCES (Interpreted, Summarized):
  • Textbooks (nursing, research methods)
  • Review articles (summaries of many studies)
  • Encyclopedias and dictionaries
  • Newspapers and magazines (health sections)
  • Online websites (WHO, MOH, professional associations)

Advantage: Easy to understand, simplified

Disadvantage: May be outdated, less detailed

🌐 USEFUL DATABASES FOR UGANDAN NURSES:

• PubMed: Search "tuberculosis Uganda nurses" (free)

• Google Scholar: Search "postnatal care Uganda" (free)

• HINARI: WHO database for developing countries (free with Uganda IP)

• CINAHL: Nursing & allied health (may need university access)

• MOH Uganda Website: Policies, guidelines, statistics

• UBOS: Uganda Bureau of Statistics for demographic data

🔎 SEARCH STRATEGY (How to Find Articles)

⚙️ Steps to Search:
  1. Identify Key Terms: Break your topic into keywords
    Example: "Factors affecting TB prevention among nurses"
    Keywords: TB, tuberculosis, prevention, infection control, nurses, health workers, Uganda
  2. Use Boolean Operators: AND, OR, NOT
    • AND: Narrows search (both terms must appear)
      Example: TB AND nurses AND Uganda
    • OR: Broadens search (either term)
      Example: nurses OR midwives OR health workers
    • NOT: Excludes terms
      Example: TB NOT HIV (if you want only TB studies)
  3. Use Filters: Last 10 years, English, Humans, Uganda
  4. Start with recent review articles: They summarize many studies
  5. Check reference lists: Find original studies cited
💡 RESEARCH TIP: Aim for 20-30 quality references in your proposal. Not too many, not too few. Recent (last 5-10 years) is better!

📝 LIKELY UHPAB EXAM QUESTIONS 📝

1. FILL-IN-THE-BLANK (2 marks)

The correct order for topic formulation is: Independent Variable, Dependent Variable, Study Population, Study Area.

2. FILL-IN-THE-BLANK (2 marks)

The acronym FINER stands for Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, and Relevant.

3. MULTIPLE CHOICE (2 marks)

Which of the following is the BEST research topic?

4. SHORT ANSWER (5 marks)

Explain the difference between Independent Variable and Dependent Variable with an example.

ANSWER GUIDE: IV = cause/factor, DV = effect/outcome. Example: "Effect of training (IV) on handwashing compliance (DV) among nurses."

5. MULTIPLE CHOICE (2 marks)

Which page in a research proposal is NOT numbered?

6. LIST QUESTION (5 marks)

List five preliminary pages of a research proposal in correct order (excluding title page).

ANSWER: Declaration (ii), Approval (iii), Dedication (iv), Acknowledgements (v), Abbreviations (vi), Table of Contents (vii), etc.

7. MULTIPLE CHOICE (3 marks)

Which component of Chapter 1 explains the "knowledge gap"?

8. SCENARIO (10 marks)

A diploma student wants to study "Factors affecting maternal mortality in Uganda." Using FINER criteria, evaluate this topic and suggest improvements.

ANSWER GUIDE:
• Feasible? NO - too broad, needs narrowing to specific district/hospital
• Interesting? YES - maternal health is important
• Novel? MAYBE - check if done recently in chosen area
• Ethical? YES - if you get consent
• Relevant? YES - aligns with SDG 3
Improvement: "Factors affecting maternal mortality among women attending maternity ward in Arua Regional Referral Hospital, 2020-2023"

9. FILL-IN-THE-BLANK (2 marks)

The first preliminary page is the title page.

10. MULTIPLE CHOICE (2 marks)

Which is a PRIMARY source of literature?

📊 STATISTICS: Topic formulation and FINER appear in 90% of UHPAB exams. Literature review questions are in 70% of exams. Master these!
⏱️ Study Time: 7-9 hours
Difficulty Level: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (Moderate-High)

🏥 Nurses Revision Uganda

Your Trusted Partner in Nursing Excellence & Research Success

🌐 Website: www.nursesrevisionuganda.com

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Page 1 of 1 | Day 9: Research Proposal Part 1
Diploma in Nursing - UHPAB Exam Preparation

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