Success Hints for SIM APC Research Proposals
Successful research teams tend to possess the following
attributes:
- They ask interesting (from the perspective of practice) research questions, which
explicitly
address one (or more) of the research topics identified in the RFP.
- They indicate, through a (brief) literature review, an awareness of relevant theories,
prior studies
and current business trends.
- They use qualitative research methods (i.e., interviews, case studies, focus groups) as
the foremost
elements of research designs.
- They devise creative, nontraditional research strategies.
- They do not use a research design in which APC members serve as the sole or primary
source of data.
- They do not use a research design in which doctoral students serve any primary role.
- They propose a research design with intermediate milestones where "findings" can be
packaged
into "deliverables" for APC members. Examples of such milestones include
the conclusion of: a
literature review, a set of phone interviews, one or more focus
group meetings (or Delphi activities), one
or more case studies, etc.
- They provide rich descriptions of your project's value-added deliverables, and explain
why
these deliverables should be of interest to APC members.
- They make clear the link between their research design and these value-added
deliverables.
- They document their experiences in undertaking intensive, field-base research
and
in working with senior executives.
- They are perceived through their finalist presentation as being:
- Knowledgeable of today's business and technological environment.
- Truly excited about their proposal and the opportunity to work with the APC.
- Willing to revise their research design as it unfolds in order to best reflect
intermediate findings
and/or to focus on the intermediate findings of most
interest to APC members.