How to Write a Study Rationale

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A study rationale explains the reason for a study and the importance of its findings for a particular field. Commonly, you'll need to write a study rationale as part of a university course of study, although you may also need to write one as a professional researcher to apply for funding or other support. As a student, your study rationale also justifies how it fulfills the requirements for your degree program or course of study. Do research before you write your study rationale so that you can discuss the previous work your study builds on and explain its significance to your field. Thorough research is also important in the professional context because your rationale will likely become part of the contract if funding or support is approved. [1]

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Describing What You Hope to Accomplish

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  1. The problem your study is going to tackle, also called your research question, tells the reader what your study will explore. Your research question should be as narrow as possible, especially in the professional context. Precise, specific research questions are more likely to lead to funding opportunities for your study. [2]
    • For example, suppose you want to study how working the night shift affects the academic performance of college students who are taking classes during the day. A narrow question would measure a specific impact based on a specific amount of hours worked.
  2. Explain to your readers how you plan to carry out your study and provide a rough timeline for the different stages of your study. If your study will take place over several months or even years, include information about how you'll keep in contact with the participants of your study.
    • Justify the methodology you're using. If there's another methodology that might accomplish the same result, describe it and explain why your methodology is superior — perhaps because it's more efficient, takes less time, or uses fewer resources. For example, you might get more information out of personal interviews, but creating an online questionnaire is more cost-effective.
    • Particularly if you're seeking funding or support, this section of your rationale will also include details about the cost of your study and the facilities or resources you'll need. [3]

    Tip: A methodology that is more complex, difficult, or expensive requires more justification than one that is straightforward and simple.

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  3. A hypothesis isn't always required but can strengthen your rationale. If you're able to make a prediction that's more than speculative, include it in your rationale. Make your hypothesis as specific as possible, mirroring your research question.
    • For example, if you're studying the effect of working the night shift on academic performance, you might hypothesize that working 4 or more nights a week lowers students' grade point averages by more than 1 point.
  4. Specifically, your study should reveal something new that hasn't been evaluated in your field. However, it's not enough simply to find something that no one else has found. You also need to show that your findings will be a significant advancement or clarify a previous misconception in your field.
    • Use action words, such as "quantify" or "establish," when writing your goals. For example, you might write that one goal of your study is to "quantify the degree to which working at night inhibits the academic performance of college students."
    • If you are a professional researcher, your objectives may need to be more specific and concrete. The organization you submit your rationale to will have details about the requirements to apply for funding and other support. [4]
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Explaining Your Study's Significance

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  1. No study occurs in a vacuum. Research previous studies that tackled the same research question and distinguish your study from those. Typically, you'll provide a brief summary of this previous work in your rationale.
    • Going into extensive detail usually isn't necessary. Instead, highlight the findings of the most significant work in the field that addressed a similar question.
    • Provide references so that your readers can examine the previous studies for themselves and compare them to your proposed study.
  2. Distinguish your proposed study from the work that has come before it by identifying problems with the previous studies and explaining how your study will correct those issues. Previous studies are best distinguished along 3 different lines:
    • Methodological limitations: Previous studies failed to measure the variables appropriately or used a research design that had problems or biases
    • Contextual limitations: Previous studies aren't relevant because circumstances have changed regarding the variables measured
    • Conceptual limitations: Previous studies are too tied up in a specific ideology or framework
  3. Carefully explain the ways in which your study will answer the research question in a way that the previous studies failed to do so. Be persuasive to convince your readers that your study will contribute something both useful and necessary to the field.
    • For example, if a previous study had been conducted to support a university's policy that full-time students were not permitted to work, you might argue that it was too tied up in that specific ideology and that this biased the results. You could then point out that your study is not intended to advance any particular policy.

    Tip: If you have to defend or present your rationale to an advisor or team, try to anticipate the questions they might ask you and include the answers to as many of those questions as possible.

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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Including Academic Proposal Information

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  1. Use your credentials or experience to convince your readers that not only is your study necessary, but you're the right person to conduct it. If you're a student, you would use this part of your rationale to highlight the topics you've concentrated on as a student and how your proposed study would help you achieve your academic goals. [5]
    • As a student, you might emphasize your major and specific classes you've taken that give you particular knowledge about the subject of your study. If you've served as a research assistant on a study with a similar methodology or covering a similar research question, you might mention that as well.
    • If you're a professional researcher, focus on the experience you have in a particular field as well as the studies you've done in the past. If you have done studies with a similar methodology that were important in your field, you might mention those as well.

    Tip: If you don't have any particular credentials or experience that are relevant to your study, tell the readers of your rationale what drew you to this particular topic and how you became interested in it.

  2. If you're proposing your study as fulfillment for an academic requirement, list the requirements for your program and describe how your study will fulfill those requirements. Include specifics such as approval by an advisor or instructor, intermediary reports, and oversight. [6]
    • For example, if you are planning to conduct the study as fulfillment of the research requirement for your degree program, you might discuss any specific guidelines for that research requirement and list how your study meets those criteria.
  3. If you are proposing the study be worth a certain number of credits, include that information so your readers can evaluate whether the proposal is suitable. Provide the name of your major or minor and department along with the number of credits and the name of the class for which you're planning to submit your final research. [7]
    • In most programs, there will be specific wording for you to include in your rationale if you're submitting it for a certain number of credits. Your instructor or advisor can help make sure you've worded this appropriately.
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Study Rationale Outline and Example

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      Warnings

      • This article presents an overview of how to write a study rationale. Check with your instructor or advisor for any specific requirements that apply to your particular project.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://research.com/research/how-to-write-research-methodology
      2. ↑ https://ris.leeds.ac.uk/applying-for-funding/developing-your-proposal/resources-and-tips/key-questions-for-researchers/
      3. ↑ https://www.cwauthors.com/article/how-to-write-the-rationale-for-your-research
      4. ↑ https://www.niaid.nih.gov/grants-contracts/write-research-plan
      5. ↑ https://www.cwauthors.com/article/how-to-write-the-rationale-for-your-research
      6. ↑ https://www.esc.edu/degree-planning-academic-review/degree-program/student-degree-planning-guide/rationale-essay-writing/writing-tips/
      7. ↑ https://www.esc.edu/degree-planning-academic-review/degree-program/student-degree-planning-guide/rationale-essay-writing/writing-tips/

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