Research proposal essential elements – UGC NET Question

Statements A, B, C and E together describe the standard components of a research proposal. A proposal normally states the problem and background, sets out objectives or hypotheses, explains sampling and procedures in the methodology and includes a targeted review of literature to justify the work. Statement D is false because ethical issues are especially important when human participants are involved and should be explicitly addressed. Thus, the only correct combination is the one that includes A, B, C and E and excludes D.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete because it omits statement E, which recognises the important role of literature review in situating the proposed study. Without E, the proposal appears disconnected from previous work, so this combination does not cover all the correct elements.

Option B:
Option B includes B, C and E but leaves out A, thereby failing to mention the need for a clear problem statement and background. Since a well-defined problem is a core feature of any proposal, the omission of A prevents this option from being correct.

Option C:
Option C contains A, C and E but omits B, ignoring the statement that objectives, questions or hypotheses should be outlined. Without B, the proposal lacks clearly articulated aims, so the combination is incomplete.

Option D:
Option D is correct because it assembles all true statements and leaves out D, which wrongly implies that ethical considerations can be ignored in proposals involving human participants. It aligns with standard expectations from funding agencies and ethics committees.