Most research projects start with a proposal.
You’ll probably have to write one before
you start your thesis or dissertation.
A research proposal is designed to persuade
someone that your project is worthwhile, for
example, your supervisor or funding body.
If you want to know how to write a proper
research proposal, then stay tuned.
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A research proposal aims to reflect the relevance,
context, approach and feasibility of your
project.
Big words, but what do they mean?
Let's find out with some concrete examples.
The format of a research proposal varies between
fields, but most proposals should contain
at least these elements:
Title page
Introduction
Literature review
Research design
Reference list
Now, let’s go through what you should include
in each element!
The title page of your proposal should include:
The proposed title of your project
Your name
Your supervisor’s name
The institution and department
You should also check with your department
to see if there are specific requirements.
The introduction is where you hook the reader
and demonstrate relevance.
Here you should introduce the context of your
research problem and show that your project
is interesting, original and important.
Here are some questions to guide your introduction:
How much is already known about the problem?
For whom is this interesting?
(e.g. policymakers or scientists)
What are the key research questions that you
aim to answer?
A strong literature review convinces the reader
that your project has a solid foundation in
existing knowledge or theory.
It also shows that you’re familiar with
the field.
In this section, you're explaining how your
project will contribute to conversations on
your topic.
If you're not sure where to start, we have
a playlist on how to write a literature review,
where you'll learn about searching for relevant
literature, outlining the structure, and more!
The research design or methodology section
should describe the overall approach and practical
steps you will take to answer your research
questions.
Here are things you should describe in the
research design section:
Research type, so is it qualitative or quantitative,
primary or secondary?
Sources, who or what will you actually study?
Research methods, what tools and procedures
will you use?
Practicalities, any foreseeable obstacles
in terms of timescale or resources required?
Click here to dive deeper into this section!
To finish your proposal on a strong note,
you can explore the potential implications
of the research for theory or practice, and
emphasize again what you aim to contribute
to existing knowledge on the topic.
For example, your results might have implications
for:
Confirming or developing a theory
Challenging current assumptions
Creating a basis for further research
Of course, your research proposal must include
proper citations and a reference list for
every source you've used.
It’s important to keep track of your sources
right from the beginning.
You can create and manage your sources easily
with Scribbr's free citation generator!
Depending on the requirements of your program,
you might have to include a detailed timeline
and budget of the project.
This aims to show that the research is feasible.
Within the timeline, you'll explain what you
will do at each stage, how long it will take
and how much it will cost.
We have an example research schedule in our
article, you can take a look here.
As in any other piece of academic writing,
it’s essential to edit and proofread your
research proposal before you submit it.
For the best chance of approval, you might
want to consider using a professional proofreading
service to get rid of language errors, check
your proposal’s structure, and improve your
academic style.
As for how long the research proposal should
be, it really depends.
A bachelor’s or master’s thesis proposal
can be just a few pages, while proposals for
PhD dissertations and research funding are
often very long and detailed.
So check with your supervisor!
Before you go and start writing, make sure
to subscribbr for more videos on how to conduct
research and write academic papers!
Thanks for watching and I'll see you soon!
