When you are writing your quantitative research plan, just as when beginning the research process, you may feel some anxiety. You may even feel a little overwhelmed. Just as I stated with beginning the research process, let me assure you that such feelings are normal. A helpful strategy for alleviating anxiety and overwhelming feelings is to break a large task into smaller tasks. Let’s review modified version of the fable of the bundle of sticks.
Fable of the Bundle of Sticks
A father hands his son a bundle of sticks and asks his son to break all sticks in half. The son takes the bundle in his hands and attempts to break them. He fails. He does not break even one. His father walks over to him, takes the bundle, and unties it. He hands his son one of the sticks and asks his son to break it. The son easily breaks the sticks. Then, again the father asks, “Can you break all the sticks in half?” The son assures his father that he can complete the task. He takes one stick at a time and breaks it in half.
The point is that breaking a large task into smaller increments can lead to the successful completion of the goal.
A Guide for Developing a Quantitative Research Proposal
A Guide for Developing a Quantitative Research Proposal is an Instructional Unit that breaks the large task of writing a proposal into smaller tasks.