A good study plan consists of nine important elements. The first is the statement of the problem that includes a precise statement of the aim of the study. It may consist of the research questions to be answered in the study, a briefing about the importance of the study, and the significance of the results. The other element is the literature review that is comprehensive and shows the understanding of the researcher about what he is to write. It consists of literature from other sources about the subject of study. It, therefore, requires creativity in researching and obtaining appropriate sources for the literature. Through reviewing related literature, it would inform the researcher whether someone else has studied the topic at hand.
It also helps one get more information and concepts about the subject.
The background of the study should also be included in the study plan. This section provides information on the topic. This section should create the interest of the reader and build a foundation upon which the study will be based. Objectives should also be laid down on a study plan. They are statements of what the research intends to accomplish. The study plan should also state the limitations of the study. This section indicates the aspects of the problem that are impossible to include in the study. Definition of terms is also important to include in the study plan to explain the less familiar words used in writing.
Another element of a study plan is the methodology. This part describes the kind of data used in the study and the methods to use. A justification of the use of the particular method should also be given. This section also shows the type of data to be collected and the research procedure to be adopted. The explanation of the method to be used should be detailed in order to convince the readers that they know what he is doing.
A beginner researcher may lose logical flow among the elements in a study plan. This may be seen where the researcher brings the problem statement before the background of the study. The background of the study should always precede the problem statement. Another loss of the logic flow may occur where the researcher takes the definition of terms after the literature review instead of before it.
This will distort the meaning of the definition of terms since it is meant to prepare the reader for the possibility of encountering unfamiliar words and therefore provide the meanings to facilitate the ease of understanding. This might happen when the researcher does not understand why that section is provided for in a study plan in the first place. This could also happen if the beginner researcher has not read adequately on how to write a proper study plan.