Methods/Front Matter and End Matter

     After a more comprehensive introduction on how to do projects and how to propose one, Miner & Miner kick off the first reading of this post with possibly the most pertinent question a proposal can answer: "How will this project get done?" Along with justifying why your methodological approach was selected over several others, the section describing a projects' methods must also lay out in detail the process and personnel associated with the methods, instruments, activities and plans, and project timelines. The personnel associated are typically divided into three categories: staff, test subjects, and collaborators. Staff should have a small biosketch in the appendices, and the methodology for selecting test subjects must be described to the grant reviewers; is the project geared towards a certain demographic or is there a broader approach at work? For collaborators, it is a tenuous and painstaking process which involves all parties knowing what resources they can bring to the table and discussing such matters in regular, concise, and promptly scheduled meetings. One must also be able to justify their methodology; this question lies at the center of every grant reviewer's thought process: why did they pick this research method? Having a few sentences dedicated to your choice of method can mean the world to potential financiers. If this process involves data collection, do referential research on what instruments or processes are available to you. Above all, you must show how the objective of this proposal aligns with the research methods described.

    Lannon wrote the second reading on "Front Matter and End Matter", which outlines formatting guidelines for a long form reports' introduction and bookend information. For starters, a cover title should only be included in these long reports; it should be centered four to five inches below the top of the page. The title page should not be numbered, and should include a title that states your purpose for the proposal, along with the authorial information regarding yourself, your organization, and the submission date. Included before the table of contents is a transmittal letter, a letter that might be written to acknowledge the people who worked on the report, any issues or limitations with the report found, observations, etc. If the report is geared towards a specific demographic, the letter should be as well. Following that is the table of contents, a centered list which contains the information following the title page. Until the introduction, every section (transmittal letter, figures and graphs, abstract) should be indicated using lowercase roman numerals. Using leader lines or other graphic design details to connect sections with page numbers is a good way to utilize visual cues. Following this is a section of raw tables and figures from your report, and an abstract including a brief condensed version of the thesis/proposal argument. To bookend the document, you must include a glossary that indexes all specialized terms and definitions that are referenced in the report. Next is the appendices, a collection of bibliographic references relevant to the report and a list of relevant information about test subjects, staff, etc. To conclude the end matters, a full bibliography of outside references used in the report must be listed at the end of the report.

    All of this is extremely reminiscent of the design layout of scientific research papers, but with a corporate workplace tinge. In the end it is more of an observational report and it doesn't require an extensive scientific background.

    I do wonder if people with an academic research background in science tend to write better project reports?

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