A guide to researchers
Every university has its own curricula and guidelines (as per regulations) for doctoral students and researchers. I have also followed one, which helped me a lot to formulate a research proposal scientifically. As I receive multiple enquiries from my students and visitors to my website regarding writing a research proposal and related issues, I have decided to present the following guidelines. I will also continue to write about other relevant issues in the near future.
- A researcher should formulate a detailed research proposal covering the statement of the problem, the hypotheses to be tested (if any), the definition of the key concepts, the research design, including the universe of study, the sampling frame, the type of sampling procedure, and the tools to be used in data collection. The following are guidelines for formulating a research proposal.
[(I-VI) Compulsory for all.]
I. The title of the work. II. Statement of the problem: In the opening paragraphs of the research proposal, the problem to be investigated should be presented clearly and briefly. The key originating question (s), and the location of the problem in the theoretical context of the concerned discipline should be specified. Specific mention should be made of the project’s aims. While indicating the significance of the problem, the contribution which the proposed study is expected to make to theory and methodology, as well as its practical importance, may be specifically indicated.III. A brief overview of literature: Work already done in the area should be critically examined. A note summarising the current status of research in the area, including major findings and highlighting research gaps, should be included in the proposal.IV. Research questions or hypotheses:
(a) Enumerate the specific research questions / or hypotheses that the researcher wishes to investigate in the study.
(b) The conceptual framework.
V. Chapterisation.
VI. Selected bibliography.
[(VII-IX) Optional, depending on the nature of the research work.]
VII. In the light of the questions raised or the hypotheses proposed to be tested, full information on the following points should be given:
- Universe of study.
- Sampling frame.
- Sampling procedure.
- Units of observation and sampling size.
- Tools and techniques of data collection.
If the study requires any control groups, they should be specifically mentioned. Proposals that do not require a sample selection should specify their strategy appropriately and describe the rationale.
VIII. Data collection :
a) Different types of data that are proposed to be gathered should be specifically mentioned. Limitations, if any, may also be indicated.
b) For the questionnaire or schedule to be used, whenever applicable, the following should be indicated:
(i) Distribution of questionnaire or schedule in different sections, e.g. identification data, socio-economic data, questions on various sub-themes, etc.
(ii) Any projective tests incorporated in the questionnaire/schedule.
(c) For the use of observation techniques (if any), describe:
(i) The type of observation: Participant, Quasi-participant, non-participant.
(ii) Units of observation.
(iii) Whether this will be the only technique or whether other techniques will also be employed.
IX. Data processing: The manner in which the different types of data will be processed, the tabulation plan, and the type of data that will be processed through the use of the software/computer should be explained in detail.
X. Time Budgeting: The time required for the completion of different stages of work should be specified.
A village in Shin Itami
I received a document (file name: Schematic Proposal-Synopsis Outline JS) from one of my colleagues via email a few years ago. This wonderful document is believed to be prepared by my Doctoral Supervisor, JS [(Professor) Jeta Sankrityayana]. Considering the researchers’ interest, I am sharing this document with all concerned via my personal website at https://amlan.co.in. I did not make any changes to the file name or content.
Schematic Proposal-Synopsis Outline JS-Download Link
A village near Santiniketan -
Please read my e-Book based on my Doctoral Research
13 October 2014 & 12 January 2015
Economics of health care utilisation: a study of self-reported morbidity and health seeking patterns in the districts of Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India (ISBN: 978-93-5196-174-1)
About the e-book:
We have witnessed radical changes in the infrastructure of health services and in the pattern of utilisation of care across the country over the years. An enquiry into the matter would reveal some important alterations, such as the introduction of user fees or, more specifically, a hike in the fee structure at public health facilities, the emergence of numerous private sources of care, and the growing preference for alternative systems of medicine among rural and urban masses. Important research questions at this point are whether demand for public health facilities has decreased, whether the pattern of morbidity has changed, or whether people’s perception of illness has altered, leading to a change in the appeal towards a particular type of care or system of medicine. The present study empirically investigates these research questions in the rural and urban areas of Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri districts, West Bengal, India.
Availability: The e-book is available here.
-
Please read my e-Book based on the UGC Minor Research Project
09 Oct 2014 & 12 January 2015
Title: Capability and Well-Being in the Forest Villages and Tea Gardens in Dooars Region of North Bengal (ISBN: 978-93-5196-052-2).
About the e-book: This e-book is based on a Minor Research Project sponsored by the University Grants Commission (UGC), India. It investigates quality-of-life-related issues, especially how the forest villagers and tea-plantation workers of the Dooars region are provided with the basic capabilities to participate in and contribute to society. Empirically, it studies, first, the living conditions of the inhabitants; second, the burden of disease, disability, and injuries in the region; and third, health-seeking behaviour by type of care and system of medicine. It uses primary data mainly collected through interviews and visits during 2012-2013, covering 400 households in the region. It applies simple algebraic and statistical tools, including those in public health, as well as multivariate logistic regression analyses.
Availability: The e-book is available here.
-
Sample copy of a questionnaire used by me during the early phases of my research
I am adding a sample copy of the questionnaire, which I used during 2003-2006 in my empirical research on the Economics of Health Care Utilisation. This is just an example. One can use it to formulate a questionnaire or schedule based on the scope and objectives of their study. The copy of the questionnaire is available here.
Farmland at Raimatang
RESEARCH GUIDANCE
I have supervised and am currently supervising some Research Scholars in the Department of Economics at the University of North Bengal. The list of works appears below (as of May 2026).
Title of the PhD Thesis: Burden of Diseases and Its Impact on Utilisation of Health Care & on Out-Of-Pocket Health Expenditure by Households in Siliguri Municipal Corporation Area (SMCA), West Bengal. Date of submission: 03 November 2017. Date of award: 01 August 2018.
Title of the PhD Thesis: Self-Reported morbidity and health-seeking behaviour of women belonging to the reproductive age group in Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal. Date of award: 25 March 2026.
Title of the PhD Thesis: Morbidity Profile and Utilisation of Health Care: An Empirical Study on Health and Health Seeking Behaviour of the Tribal Communities in the District of Alipurduar, West Bengal. Date of award: 13 April 2026.
Title of the PhD Thesis: An Economic Analysis of Health Care Utilisation, Out-of-Pocket Health Expenditure and Health Insurance: A Case Study of Cooch Behar District of West Bengal (Ongoing).
Title of the PhD Thesis: Multidimensional Assessment of Women’s Well-being within the Framework of Capability Approach: An empirical study with Special reference to South Salmara Mankachar District of Assam (Ongoing).
Title of the PhD Thesis: Economics of Health and Health Care: A Study of the Determinants of Health Care Utilisation and Health Expenditure in Barpeta District of Assam (Ongoing).
Title of the PhD Thesis: Patterns of Household Expenditure and Economic Inequality in India: A State-level Analysis (Ongoing).
Title of the PhD Thesis: Utilisation of AYUSH systems of medicine in North-East India: A Study from Economic Perspectives (Ongoing).
Title of the PhD Thesis: Utilisation of AYUSH Systems of Medicine in West Bengal: A Study on Health Service Use and Out-of-Pocket Healthcare Expenditure with a Special Focus on Darjeeling District (Ongoing).
Title of the MPhil dissertation: A Study of Health Status and Health Care Seeking Behaviour of Tea Plantation Labourers in Two Tea Estates in the Sadar Sub-Division of Darjeeling District. Year of award: 2023.
Title of the MPhil dissertation: The role of small-scale industries in hill areas with special reference to Kalimpong. Year of award: 2022.
Assisted one Postdoctoral Researcher of the Department of Demography, Population Research Centre, Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen, The Netherlands, from 15 January 2015 to 26 November 2015 (Topic of research: Multidimensional child growth in India from the perspective of the Capability Approach).
Assisted Doctoral Researchers at the Faculty of Sociology, Kansai University, Osaka, during my tenure as a Postdoctoral Researcher for one year from 22 November 2010.
Karbi Anglong (Assam) in winter (Photography by Avijit Das)
For more information, please write to me at: amlan@amlan.co.in or amlan@nbu.ac.in.
Also, you may reach me at +91-9832469667.