EVALUATING THE INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS OF USERS OF NATIONAL DEPARTMENTS ANNUAL REPORTS IN SOUTH AFRICA

1. Problem Statement (Max 300 words)
 The problem statement describes the need for the research project in terms of the
knowledge/research gap to be filled and addressed.
 This section should identify and outline both the theoretical and practical problem gaps for
which the study seeks to solve. Authoritative sources or citations should be used to support the theoretical and practical problem gaps.
 The researcher should ultimately present a clear and precise research problem statement that indicates the gap that is required to be addressed by the study.
 In this section, avoid duplication of the background section of this proposal. This section should be concise and not exceed 300 words.
2. Research Objectives
 Research objectives are sub-statements of purpose demonstrating how to measure key variables indicated in the research title and research problem statement.
 Research objectives are often written either as activity statements such as to describe, identify, explain, examine, compare, critique, analyse, and evaluate, or as output statements such as “to construct a model or to develop a model, to develop a conceptual and theoretical framework, or to develop a database for—-etc.
 Research objectives should be directly linked to the study variables as indicated in the title and purpose statement (they should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound).
 At the doctoral level there should be 5 research objectives.
3. Research Questions
 Research question(s) should address the research problem statement and study aim in alignment with the research focus and objectives.
 Research questions are central to both qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research.
 They indicate clearly, what needs to be known and the focus of the study. The clarify
relationships among variables and support theoretical views.
 Research questions can be used to delineate the variables in the research objectives to make them clearer and measurable. They always correspond to the research objectives.
 At the doctoral level there should be 3-5 research questions. However, the actual number may depend on the number of objectives, and whether the objectives are amenable to research questions. (Preposition for the research questions for qualitative study).