english literature research proposal

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Research Proposals

• the research topic briefly outline the area and topic of your research.
• the research context relate your proposed research to other work in its field or related fields, and indicate in what ways your research will differ; you might mention monographs on the subject, as well as important theoretical models or methodological exemplars. This is a chance to show your understanding of the background against which your research will be defined.
• the contribution you will make this is your chance to show how you have arrived at your position and recognised the need for your research, and what it is that makes it both new and important; you should indicate what areas and debates it will have an impact on, what methodological example it sets (if appropriate) – in short how it contributes to knowledge and to the practice of our subject. Give examples of the sort of evidence you might consider, and of the questions it might help you to raise. Show that you are already thinking about the area in detail and not only in outline.
• your methods in some cases there will be little to say here, but if there is something striking about your methodology, you should explain it.
• the sources and resources you will use you should delimit your field of enquiry, showing where the project begins and ends; in certain cases, Cambridge will have unique collections and resources of central relevance to your project, and you should mention these.
• how the project will develop you might indicate some of the possible ways in which the project could develop, perhaps by giving a broader or narrower version depending on what materials and issues you uncover

You should ask yourself how your work might change the present state of scholarship in your field, and whether the topic is well suited to the resources provided at Cambridge. Even for MPhil courses we generally aim to admit not just those who propose a sensible topic, but those who have the potential to modify the present paradigms of research in their field. Most students, though, refine their research topics after they arrive in the light of what they discover or of advice from their supervisor, so you need not feel that you are inscribing your future in tablets of stone as you compose your proposal.

You may find it helpful to look at the following examples of successful research proposals.

It is vital that you show that your research is necessary. It is not enough that it happens to interest you. You should make clear that it will be of use and interest to others working in your field, or on a particular author, or indeed in neighbouring fields. You should show how your work will make a contribution to knowledge and to the practice of our subject.

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Writing your research proposal

The purpose of the research proposal is to demonstrate that the research you wish to undertake is significant, necessary and feasible, that you will be able to make an original contribution to the field, and that the project can be completed within the normal time period. Some general guidelines and advice on structuring your proposal are provided below. Research proposals should be between 1,000 and 3,000 words depending on the programme (excluding the reference list/bibliography).

Title sheet

Topic statement, research aims, review of the literature, study design / theoretical orientation, research methods, tentative chapter outline, references/bibliography.

Applying for a research degree

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Demystifying the Research Proposal Process in English Literature Studies

• backlinkworks
• Writing Articles & Reviews
• November 4, 2023

Doing research in English Literature can be a fascinating and fulfilling experience. However, before embarking on any research project, IT is essential to go through a well-planned proposal process. A research proposal serves as a roadmap that outlines your research objectives, methods, and potential outcomes. This article will guide you through the process of creating an effective research proposal in English Literature studies.

Understanding the Research Proposal

A research proposal is a document that presents your plan for a research study. IT includes a detailed description of the proposed research topic, objectives, theoretical framework, research questions, and an outline of the methodologies you intend to use. The proposal helps to convince funding agencies, academic institutions, or supervisors about the importance and feasibility of your research project.

When crafting your research proposal, IT is crucial to be clear, concise, and well-organized. Follow the guidelines provided by your institution or funding agency and structure your proposal accordingly.

Components of a Research Proposal

1. Title: Your research proposal should have a clear and catchy title that reflects the essence of your study.

2. Introduction: Provide a brief overview of the research topic, its significance, and justification. Highlight gaps or deficiencies in existing literature that your research aims to address.

3. Research Questions: Clearly articulate the research questions that your study aims to answer. These questions should be specific, focused, and align with the objectives stated in the proposal.

4. Literature Review: Conduct a comprehensive review of existing literature related to your research topic. Analyze and critique previous studies, identify theoretical frameworks, and explain how your research builds upon or fills gaps in current knowledge.

5. Methodology: Describe the research design and methodology you will employ. Explain the research approach (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed), data collection techniques, sampling methods, and analysis techniques. Be sure to justify your choices appropriately.

6. Expected Outcomes: Outline the potential outcomes and benefits of your research. Describe how your study will contribute to the existing body of knowledge in English Literature studies.

7. Timeline: Create a timeline or schedule that outlines the major phases and milestones of your research, including data collection, analysis, and write-up.

8. Ethical Considerations: Discuss any ethical considerations related to your research, such as informed consent, data protection, and confidentiality.

In conclusion, crafting a research proposal in English Literature studies requires careful planning, critical thinking, and a clear understanding of the research objectives. By following the components outlined in this article, you can create a comprehensive and convincing proposal. Remember to adapt the structure and content of your proposal based on the specific requirements of your institution or funding agency. Good luck with your research journey!

Q: How long should a research proposal be?

A: The length of a research proposal can vary depending on the specific requirements provided by your institution or funding agency. However, IT is generally recommended to keep the proposal concise, typically between 1500-2000 words.

Q: Can I use references in my research proposal?

A: Yes, including references in your research proposal is crucial to demonstrate that you have conducted a thorough literature review and are familiar with existing studies on your topic. Use appropriate referencing style (such as APA or MLA) to cite your sources accurately.

Q: Is IT necessary to provide a timeline in the research proposal?

A: Yes, providing a timeline is important in your research proposal as IT helps to demonstrate your ability to plan and manage the research project effectively. The timeline should outline the major activities and milestones along the research journey.

Q: Do I need to obtain ethical approval for my research proposal?

A: Ethical approval might be required depending on the nature of your research. If your study involves human participants, sensitive data, or potential ethical concerns, IT is essential to seek ethical approval from the appropriate review board or committee at your institution.

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Academic Proposals

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

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This resource introduces the genre of academic proposals and provides strategies for developing effective graduate-level proposals across multiple contexts.

Introduction

An important part of the work completed in academia is sharing our scholarship with others. Such communication takes place when we present at scholarly conferences, publish in peer-reviewed journals, and publish in books. This OWL resource addresses the steps in writing for a variety of academic proposals.

For samples of academic proposals, click here .

Important considerations for the writing process

First and foremost, you need to consider your future audience carefully in order to determine both how specific your topic can be and how much background information you need to provide in your proposal. While some conferences and journals may be subject-specific, most will require you to address an audience that does not conduct research on the same topics as you. Conference proposal reviewers are often drawn from professional organization members or other attendees, while journal proposals are typically reviewed by the editorial staff, so you need to ensure that your proposal is geared toward the knowledge base and expectations of whichever audience will read your work.

Along those lines, you might want to check whether you are basing your research on specific prior research and terminology that requires further explanation. As a rule, always phrase your proposal clearly and specifically, avoid over-the-top phrasing and jargon, but do not negate your own personal writing style in the process.

If you would like to add a quotation to your proposal, you are not required to provide a citation or footnote of the source, although it is generally preferred to mention the author’s name. Always put quotes in quotation marks and take care to limit yourself to at most one or two quotations in the entire proposal text. Furthermore, you should always proofread your proposal carefully and check whether you have integrated details, such as author’s name, the correct number of words, year of publication, etc. correctly.

Methodology is often a key factor in the evaluation of proposals for any academic genre — but most proposals have such a small word limit that writers find it difficult to adequately include methods while also discussing their argument, background for the study, results, and contributions to knowledge. It's important to make sure that you include some information about the methods used in your study, even if it's just a line or two; if your proposal isn't experimental in nature, this space should instead describe the theory, lens, or approach you are taking to arrive at your conclusions.

Reasons proposals fail/common pitfalls

There are common pitfalls that you might need to improve on for future proposals.

The proposal does not reflect your enthusiasm and persuasiveness, which usually goes hand in hand with hastily written, simply worded proposals. Generally, the better your research has been, the more familiar you are with the subject and the more smoothly your proposal will come together.

Similarly, proposing a topic that is too broad can harm your chances of being accepted to a conference. Be sure to have a clear focus in your proposal. Usually, this can be avoided by more advanced research to determine what has already been done, especially if the proposal is judged by an important scholar in the field. Check the names of keynote speakers and other attendees of note to avoid repeating known information or not focusing your proposal.

Your paper might simply have lacked the clear language that proposals should contain. On this linguistic level, your proposal might have sounded repetitious, have had boring wording, or simply displayed carelessness and a lack of proofreading, all of which can be remedied by more revisions. One key tactic for ensuring you have clear language in your proposal is signposting — you can pick up key phrases from the CFP, as well as use language that indicates different sections in academic work (as in IMRAD sections from the organization and structure page in this resource). This way, reviewers can easily follow your proposal and identify its relatedness to work in the field and the CFP.

Conference proposals

Conference proposals are a common genre in graduate school that invite several considerations for writing depending on the conference and requirements of the call for papers.

Beginning the process

Make sure you read the call for papers carefully to consider the deadline and orient your topic of presentation around the buzzwords and themes listed in the document. You should take special note of the deadline and submit prior to that date, as most conferences use online submission systems that will close on a deadline and will not accept further submissions.

If you have previously spoken on or submitted a proposal on the same topic, you should carefully adjust it specifically for this conference or even completely rewrite the proposal based on your changing and evolving research.

The topic you are proposing should be one that you can cover easily within a time frame of approximately fifteen to twenty minutes. You should stick to the required word limit of the conference call. The organizers have to read a large number of proposals, especially in the case of an international or interdisciplinary conference, and will appreciate your brevity.

Structure and components

Conference proposals differ widely across fields and even among individual conferences in a field. Some just request an abstract, which is written similarly to any other abstract you'd write for a journal article or other publication. Some may request abstracts or full papers that fit into pre-existing sessions created by conference organizers. Some request both an abstract and a further description or proposal, usually in cases where the abstract will be published in the conference program and the proposal helps organizers decide which papers they will accept. 

If the conference you are submitting to requires a proposal or description, there are some common elements you'll usually need to include. These are a statement of the problem or topic, a discussion of your approach to the problem/topic, a discussion of findings or expected findings, and a discussion of key takeaways or relevance to audience members. These elements are typically given in this order and loosely follow the IMRAD structure discussed in the organization and structure page in this resource. 

The proportional size of each of these elements in relation to one another tends to vary by the stage of your research and the relationship of your topic to the field of the conference. If your research is very early on, you may spend almost no time on findings, because you don't have them yet. Similarly, if your topic is a regular feature at conferences in your field, you may not need to spend as much time introducing it or explaining its relevance to the field; however, if you are working on a newer topic or bringing in a topic or problem from another discipline, you may need to spend slightly more space explaining it to reviewers. These decisions should usually be based on an analysis of your audience — what information can reviewers be reasonably expected to know, and what will you have to tell them?

Journal Proposals

Most of the time, when you submit an article to a journal for publication, you'll submit a finished manuscript which contains an abstract, the text of the article, the bibliography, any appendices, and author bios. These can be on any topic that relates to the journal's scope of interest, and they are accepted year-round.

Special issues , however, are planned issues of a journal that center around a specific theme, usually a "hot topic" in the field. The editor or guest editors for the special issue will often solicit proposals with a call for papers (CFP) first, accept a certain number of proposals for further development into article manuscripts, and then accept the final articles for the special issue from that smaller pool. Special issues are typically the only time when you will need to submit a proposal to write a journal article, rather than submitting a completed manuscript.

Journal proposals share many qualities with conference proposals: you need to write for your audience, convey the significance of your work, and condense the various sections of a full study into a small word or page limit. In general, the necessary components of a proposal include:

• Problem or topic statement that defines the subject of your work (often includes research questions)
• Background information (think literature review) that indicates the topic's importance in your field as well as indicates that your research adds something to the scholarship on this topic
• Methodology and methods used in the study (and an indication of why these methods are the correct ones for your research questions)
• Results or findings (which can be tentative or preliminary, if the study has not yet been completed)
• Significance and implications of the study (what will readers learn? why should they care?)

This order is a common one because it loosely follows the IMRAD (introduction, methods, results and discussion) structure often used in academic writing; however, it is not the only possible structure or even always the best structure. You may need to move these elements around depending on the expectations in your field, the word or page limit, or the instructions given in the CFP.

Some of the unique considerations of journal proposals are:

• The CFP may ask you for an abstract, a proposal, or both. If you need to write an abstract, look for more information on the abstract page. If you need to write both an abstract and a proposal, make sure to clarify for yourself what the difference is. Usually the proposal needs to include more information about the significance, methods, and/or background of the study than will fit in the abstract, but often the CFP itself will give you some instructions as to what information the editors are wanting in each piece of writing.
• Journal special issue CFPs, like conference CFPs, often include a list of topics or questions that describe the scope of the special issue. These questions or topics are a good starting place for generating a proposal or tying in your research; ensuring that your work is a good fit for the special issue and articulating why that is in the proposal increases your chances of being accepted.
• Special issues are not less valuable or important than regularly scheduled issues; therefore, your proposal needs to show that your work fits and could readily be accepted in any other issue of the journal. This means following some of the same practices you would if you were preparing to submit a manuscript to a journal: reading the journal's author submission guidelines; reading the last several years of the journal to understand the usual topics, organization, and methods; citing pieces from this journal and other closely related journals in your research.

Book Proposals

While the requirements are very similar to those of conference proposals, proposals for a book ought to address a few other issues.

General considerations

Since these proposals are of greater length, the publisher will require you to delve into greater detail as well—for instance, regarding the organization of the proposed book or article.

Publishers generally require a clear outline of the chapters you are proposing and an explication of their content, which can be several pages long in its entirety.

You will need to incorporate knowledge of relevant literature, use headings and sub-headings that you should not use in conference proposals. Be sure to know who wrote what about your topic and area of interest, even if you are proposing a less scholarly project.

Publishers prefer depth rather than width when it comes to your topic, so you should be as focused as possible and further outline your intended audience.

You should always include information regarding your proposed deadlines for the project and how you will execute this plan, especially in the sciences. Potential investors or publishers need to know that you have a clear and efficient plan to accomplish your proposed goals. Depending on the subject area, this information can also include a proposed budget, materials or machines required to execute this project, and information about its industrial application.

Pre-writing strategies

As John Boswell (cited in: Larsen, Michael. How to Write a Book Proposal. Writers Digest Books , 2004. p. 1) explains, “today fully 90 percent of all nonfiction books sold to trade publishers are acquired on the basis of a proposal alone.” Therefore, editors and agents generally do not accept completed manuscripts for publication, as these “cannot (be) put into the usual channels for making a sale”, since they “lack answers to questions of marketing, competition, and production.” (Lyon, Elizabeth. Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write . Perigee Trade, 2002. pp. 6-7.)

In contrast to conference or, to a lesser degree, chapter proposals, a book proposal introduces your qualifications for writing it and compares your work to what others have done or failed to address in the past.

As a result, you should test the idea with your networks and, if possible, acquire other people’s proposals that discuss similar issues or have a similar format before submitting your proposal. Prior to your submission, it is recommended that you write at least part of the manuscript in addition to checking the competition and reading all about the topic.

The following is a list of questions to ask yourself before committing to a book project, but should in no way deter you from taking on a challenging project (adapted from Lyon 27). Depending on your field of study, some of these might be more relevant to you than others, but nonetheless useful to reiterate and pose to yourself.

• Do you have sufficient enthusiasm for a project that may span years?
• Will publication of your book satisfy your long-term career goals?
• Do you have enough material for such a long project and do you have the background knowledge and qualifications required for it?
• Is your book idea better than or different from other books on the subject? Does the idea spark enthusiasm not just in yourself but others in your field, friends, or prospective readers?
• Are you willing to acquire any lacking skills, such as, writing style, specific terminology and knowledge on that field for this project? Will it fit into your career and life at the time or will you not have the time to engage in such extensive research?

Essential elements of a book proposal

Your book proposal should include the following elements:

• Your proposal requires the consideration of the timing and potential for sale as well as its potential for subsidiary rights.
• It needs to include an outline of approximately one paragraph to one page of prose (Larsen 6) as well as one sample chapter to showcase the style and quality of your writing.
• You should also include the resources you need for the completion of the book and a biographical statement (“About the Author”).
• Your proposal must contain your credentials and expertise, preferably from previous publications on similar issues.
• A book proposal also provides you with the opportunity to include information such as a mission statement, a foreword by another authority, or special features—for instance, humor, anecdotes, illustrations, sidebars, etc.
• You must assess your ability to promote the book and know the market that you target in all its statistics.

The following proposal structure, as outlined by Peter E. Dunn for thesis and fellowship proposals, provides a useful guide to composing such a long proposal (Dunn, Peter E. “Proposal Writing.” Center for Instructional Excellence, Purdue University, 2007):

• Literature Review
• Identification of Problem
• Statement of Objectives
• Rationale and Significance
• Methods and Timeline
• Literature Cited

Most proposals for manuscripts range from thirty to fifty pages and, apart from the subject hook, book information (length, title, selling handle), markets for your book, and the section about the author, all the other sections are optional. Always anticipate and answer as many questions by editors as possible, however.

Finally, include the best chapter possible to represent your book's focus and style. Until an agent or editor advises you to do otherwise, follow your book proposal exactly without including something that you might not want to be part of the book or improvise on possible expected recommendations.

Publishers expect to acquire the book's primary rights, so that they can sell it in an adapted or condensed form as well. Mentioning any subsidiary rights, such as translation opportunities, performance and merchandising rights, or first-serial rights, will add to the editor's interest in buying your book. It is enticing to publishers to mention your manuscript's potential to turn into a series of books, although they might still hesitate to buy it right away—at least until the first one has been a successful endeavor.

The sample chapter

Since editors generally expect to see about one-tenth of a book, your sample chapter's length should reflect that in these building blocks of your book. The chapter should reflect your excitement and the freshness of the idea as well as surprise editors, but do not submit part of one or more chapters. Always send a chapter unless your credentials are impeccable due to prior publications on the subject. Do not repeat information in the sample chapter that will be covered by preceding or following ones, as the outline should be designed in such a way as to enable editors to understand the context already.

How to make your proposal stand out

Depending on the subject of your book, it is advisable to include illustrations that exemplify your vision of the book and can be included in the sample chapter. While these can make the book more expensive, it also increases the salability of the project. Further, you might consider including outstanding samples of your published work, such as clips from periodicals, if they are well-respected in the field. Thirdly, cover art can give your potential publisher a feel for your book and its marketability, especially if your topic is creative or related to the arts.

In addition, professionally formatting your materials will give you an edge over sloppy proposals. Proofread the materials carefully, use consistent and carefully organized fonts, spacing, etc., and submit your proposal without staples; rather, submit it in a neat portfolio that allows easy access and reassembling. However, check the submission guidelines first, as most proposals are submitted digitally. Finally, you should try to surprise editors and attract their attention. Your hook, however, should be imaginative but inexpensive (you do not want to bribe them, after all). Make sure your hook draws the editors to your book proposal immediately (Adapted from Larsen 154-60).

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Home » How To Write A Research Proposal – Step-by-Step [Template]

How To Write A Research Proposal – Step-by-Step [Template]

Table of Contents

How To Write a Research Proposal

Writing a Research proposal involves several steps to ensure a well-structured and comprehensive document. Here is an explanation of each step:

1. Title and Abstract

• Choose a concise and descriptive title that reflects the essence of your research.
• Write an abstract summarizing your research question, objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes. It should provide a brief overview of your proposal.

2. Introduction:

• Provide an introduction to your research topic, highlighting its significance and relevance.
• Clearly state the research problem or question you aim to address.
• Discuss the background and context of the study, including previous research in the field.

3. Research Objectives

• Outline the specific objectives or aims of your research. These objectives should be clear, achievable, and aligned with the research problem.

4. Literature Review:

• Conduct a comprehensive review of relevant literature and studies related to your research topic.
• Summarize key findings, identify gaps, and highlight how your research will contribute to the existing knowledge.

5. Methodology:

• Describe the research design and methodology you plan to employ to address your research objectives.
• Explain the data collection methods, instruments, and analysis techniques you will use.
• Justify why the chosen methods are appropriate and suitable for your research.

6. Timeline:

• Create a timeline or schedule that outlines the major milestones and activities of your research project.
• Break down the research process into smaller tasks and estimate the time required for each task.

7. Resources:

• Identify the resources needed for your research, such as access to specific databases, equipment, or funding.
• Explain how you will acquire or utilize these resources to carry out your research effectively.

8. Ethical Considerations:

• Discuss any ethical issues that may arise during your research and explain how you plan to address them.
• If your research involves human subjects, explain how you will ensure their informed consent and privacy.

9. Expected Outcomes and Significance:

• Clearly state the expected outcomes or results of your research.
• Highlight the potential impact and significance of your research in advancing knowledge or addressing practical issues.

10. References:

• Provide a list of all the references cited in your proposal, following a consistent citation style (e.g., APA, MLA).

11. Appendices:

• Include any additional supporting materials, such as survey questionnaires, interview guides, or data analysis plans.

Research Proposal Format

The format of a research proposal may vary depending on the specific requirements of the institution or funding agency. However, the following is a commonly used format for a research proposal:

1. Title Page:

• Include the title of your research proposal, your name, your affiliation or institution, and the date.

2. Abstract:

• Provide a brief summary of your research proposal, highlighting the research problem, objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes.

3. Introduction:

• Introduce the research topic and provide background information.
• State the research problem or question you aim to address.
• Explain the significance and relevance of the research.
• Review relevant literature and studies related to your research topic.
• Summarize key findings and identify gaps in the existing knowledge.
• Explain how your research will contribute to filling those gaps.

5. Research Objectives:

• Clearly state the specific objectives or aims of your research.
• Ensure that the objectives are clear, focused, and aligned with the research problem.

6. Methodology:

• Describe the research design and methodology you plan to use.
• Explain the data collection methods, instruments, and analysis techniques.
• Justify why the chosen methods are appropriate for your research.

7. Timeline:

8. Resources:

• Explain how you will acquire or utilize these resources effectively.

9. Ethical Considerations:

• If applicable, explain how you will ensure informed consent and protect the privacy of research participants.

10. Expected Outcomes and Significance:

11. References:

12. Appendices:

Research Proposal Template

Here’s a template for a research proposal:

1. Introduction:

2. Literature Review:

3. Research Objectives:

4. Methodology:

5. Timeline:

6. Resources:

7. Ethical Considerations:

8. Expected Outcomes and Significance:

9. References:

10. Appendices:

Research Proposal Sample

Title: The Impact of Online Education on Student Learning Outcomes: A Comparative Study

1. Introduction

Online education has gained significant prominence in recent years, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This research proposal aims to investigate the impact of online education on student learning outcomes by comparing them with traditional face-to-face instruction. The study will explore various aspects of online education, such as instructional methods, student engagement, and academic performance, to provide insights into the effectiveness of online learning.

2. Objectives

The main objectives of this research are as follows:

• To compare student learning outcomes between online and traditional face-to-face education.
• To examine the factors influencing student engagement in online learning environments.
• To assess the effectiveness of different instructional methods employed in online education.
• To identify challenges and opportunities associated with online education and suggest recommendations for improvement.

3. Methodology

3.1 Study Design

This research will utilize a mixed-methods approach to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The study will include the following components:

3.2 Participants

The research will involve undergraduate students from two universities, one offering online education and the other providing face-to-face instruction. A total of 500 students (250 from each university) will be selected randomly to participate in the study.

3.3 Data Collection

The research will employ the following data collection methods:

• Quantitative: Pre- and post-assessments will be conducted to measure students’ learning outcomes. Data on student demographics and academic performance will also be collected from university records.
• Qualitative: Focus group discussions and individual interviews will be conducted with students to gather their perceptions and experiences regarding online education.

3.4 Data Analysis

Quantitative data will be analyzed using statistical software, employing descriptive statistics, t-tests, and regression analysis. Qualitative data will be transcribed, coded, and analyzed thematically to identify recurring patterns and themes.

4. Ethical Considerations

The study will adhere to ethical guidelines, ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of participants. Informed consent will be obtained, and participants will have the right to withdraw from the study at any time.

5. Significance and Expected Outcomes

This research will contribute to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence on the impact of online education on student learning outcomes. The findings will help educational institutions and policymakers make informed decisions about incorporating online learning methods and improving the quality of online education. Moreover, the study will identify potential challenges and opportunities related to online education and offer recommendations for enhancing student engagement and overall learning outcomes.

6. Timeline

The proposed research will be conducted over a period of 12 months, including data collection, analysis, and report writing.

The estimated budget for this research includes expenses related to data collection, software licenses, participant compensation, and research assistance. A detailed budget breakdown will be provided in the final research plan.

8. Conclusion

This research proposal aims to investigate the impact of online education on student learning outcomes through a comparative study with traditional face-to-face instruction. By exploring various dimensions of online education, this research will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness and challenges associated with online learning. The findings will contribute to the ongoing discourse on educational practices and help shape future strategies for maximizing student learning outcomes in online education settings.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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Proposal – Types, Examples, and Writing Guide

How to choose an Appropriate Method for Research?

Postgraduate research

Research proposals

Your research proposal must outline the topic of your proposed research, the questions it will address and some indication of how you will conduct your research. It is an integral part of the application process.

How long should it be?

Please check your department's details below to find out the required length of your research proposal as they vary quite considerably. You won't be able to edit your proposal after you've submitted your application.

Information for paper applications

If you're submitting a paper application, you should download and complete the following document and submit it along with your application.

Pre-arranged or advertised research projects

If you're applying as part of a pre-arranged/advertised research project, you should make it clear within your application. If you've already reached agreement with an academic department about a particular project, you must provide brief details of that project within the application form. You must also state the name of the academic member of staff that you have been in contact with.

Departmental guidelines

Details of what to include in your research proposal will be provided during the application process. To help you to prepare before you start your application, you can find out about course-specific requirements below.

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Related links

• Supporting documents

Applicants to our PhD/MPhil courses are asked to submit a clear, well-structured research proposal as part of this process.

It should usually be about 1,000 to 2,000 words in length (it can be useful to formulate this proposal in consultation with the staff member who will potentially supervise the work, if this is known).

The proposal should include:

• provisional title of research
• summary of the topic to be investigated
• previous research in this sphere
• your broad aims, and specific questions within this
• information about methods to be used, data sources to be mined, their quality/accessibility etc. (as far as may be possible at this stage).

Applicants to PGR courses (PhD, MPhil and MA by Research) in the School of Arts and Creative Technologies are asked to submit a clear, well-structured research proposal as part of this process.

The proposal should be around 1500-2000 words long. (It can be useful to develop this proposal in consultation with the staff member who will potentially supervise the work, if this is known.) The proposal should include:

• indications of relevant previous work in the field by others: key theoretical research or creative practice
• an overview of your own experience to date, relevant to the proposal
• your broad aims and specific questions within this
• provisional information about the likely methods to be used: will the work take place primarily through artistic/creative practice research, empirical processes of experimentation and/or theoretical investigation?

PhD Adapting to the Challenges of a Changing Environment/PhD Mechanistic Biology

You do not need to submit a research proposal for this Doctoral Training Programme as all applications should be submitted against a particular research project and member of academic staff. You should clearly state these in your application. We strongly advise you to contact the member of academic staff directly to discuss your suitability for the project.

MSc Biology (by research)/PhD or MPhil in Biology

You do not normally need to submit a research proposal for Biology research degrees. You should clearly state the area you wish to work in and choose two to three academic staff you would like to work with.

You may wish to contact the member of academic staff you wish to work with, who may provide you with a research outline or ask you to submit a research proposal.

PhD Biology (4 years)

You do not need to submit a research proposal for this programme as all applications should be submitted against a particular research project and member of academic staff. You should clearly state these in your application. We strongly advise you to contact the member of academic staff directly to discuss your suitability for the project.

PhD Management

As a guideline, a proposal should be around 4,000 words and should contain the following principal headings:

• working title of the project
• general overview of the research area
• identification of the relevant literature to indicate you are familiar with the key academic debates within your proposed research (including a bibliography of cited references)
• overview of the key research questions/hypotheses you wish to address/test
• justification for the proposed methodology to be employed (for example, quantitative/qualitative or mixed methods)
• an indication of the timescale involved (for example, in the design, dissemination and analysis of questionnaires; gathering of quantitative data and checking for outliers).

PhD and MPhil Social Policy and Social Work

Research proposals should be between 2,000 and 3,000 words (including references) and should contain:

• A concise review of relevant literature
• A clear statement of the research question, hypothesis or objective and of how this fits within the existing literature
• A clear outline of the research methods to be used and how they will be applied
• An accurate list of references.

MPhil Chemistry/MSc Chemistry (by research)

The research proposal needs to outline the nature of your proposed study and give some indication of how you will conduct your research. The purpose of this exercise is to ensure that you and your potential supervisor(s) have matching research interests.

Your proposal can build on your chosen supervisor's area of work and may be prepared with the help of your chosen supervisor. It should be about 250 to 500 words in length.

PhD Chemistry

If you are applying for an advertised PhD project, please simply state the title of the project for which you are applying. If you are not applying for an advertised project, the research proposal needs to outline the nature of your proposed study and give some indication of how you will conduct your research. The purpose of this exercise is to ensure that you and your potential supervisor(s) have matching research interests. Your proposal can build on your chosen supervisor's area of work and may be prepared with the help of your chosen supervisor. It should be about 500-1,000 words in length.

PhD Biological Chemistry

You do not need to submit a research proposal for this course as all applications should be submitted against a particular research project and member of academic staff. You should clearly state these in your application. We strongly advise you to contact the member of academic staff directly to discuss your suitability for the project.

MSc (by research) Computer Science

For the MSc-R in Computer Science, the research proposal needs to outline the nature of your proposed study and give some indication of how you will conduct your research. The purpose of this exercise is to ensure that you and your potential supervisor(s) have matching research interests.

Your proposal can build on your chosen supervisor's area of work and may be prepared with the help of your chosen supervisor. It should be about 500 to 1,000 words in length. It must be in English and be your own words.

PhD Computer Science

For the PhD in Computer Science, the research proposal needs to outline the nature of your proposed study and give some indication of how you will conduct your research. The purpose of this exercise is to ensure that you and your potential supervisor(s) have matching research interests.

Your research proposal should provide details on:

• your main research question
• the relevant literature and your planned contribution to the current research in the area
• the econometric and/or theoretical modelling methods that you plan to use
• the data source (only if you envisage empirical work).

The proposal should be of about 1,000 to 2,000 words.

Before drafting the proposal you should make sure that your research interests are aligned with the Department of Economics and Related Studies.

The Department has six main areas of research (clusters):

• Economic Theory
• Macroeconomics and Finance
• Econometrics
• Applied Microeconometrics
• Health Economics
• Political Economy .

Find out more about the research interests of the academic staff .

Submit a research proposal of about 1,500 words, which covers the focus of your proposed study and the type of data and sample you envisage using for your data collection. When writing your Proposal, you should pay careful attention to the  guidelines we provide . You should also tailor your application as close as possible to a specific member of staff in the Department to increase your chances of acceptance. You can read up on our  research profiles  and read up on the kinds of  PhDs we would supervise .

You will need to write a research proposal for the following courses:

• PhD in English
• MA in English (by research)
• MPhil in English.

Write a preliminary outline of your proposed research topic. You should provide a summary of between 250 and 350 words in length and then upload a longer version. You will need to:

• Describe any previous work you have done in this area, with reference to relevant literature you have read so far
• State the academic factors, eg University facilities, resources or staff, which have led you to apply to York.

Your proposal should:

• be about 500 to 1,000 words in length and may include up to 10 relevant references
• outline your research question and/or the hypothesis you wish to investigate
• describe the possible methodology that you will use to conduct your research
• explain why your research is important and/or original, and its potential.

The aim of providing a summary of your planned research at this stage is to ensure that you and your potential supervisor(s) have complementary research interests. You may wish to contact the member of academic staff you would like to work with to discuss your outline proposal.

Submit a research proposal of up to 1000 words outlining your proposed topic.

This should include:

• a brief literature review
• an outline of your research question(s)/hypothesis and methods
• a short list of primary sources.

You should also specify how your dissertation will make a contribution to historical debates. Footnotes including sources will not count against your word limit.

PhD Linguistics

In your main application form, please include only 100 words outlining your topic, but upload a fuller research proposal as a separate document. This proposal should be between 1500 and 2500 words in length, and should contain at least the following:

• Title of proposed research project This should allow the reader to place the research, at a glance, within an academic sub-field, as well as identifying the main issue to be addressed. It should not be more than 20 words long.
• Background Outline the linguistic area in which you propose to conduct research. Why is it important and interesting? What is the need for further research in this area? You should provide a context for your research. Do this by referencing and briefly reviewing a number of key works in your chosen field, showing how your work is built on this prior research.
• Research questions You should give at least one overarching research question, plus a number of more specific sub-questions. Make sure these questions all emerge from and are firmly grounded in the literature you have reviewed. Ensure that these questions - particularly the specific sub-questions - are researchable; that is, they should not be too broad or too general. You should also explain how these research questions can be considered original.
• Data and data analysis All projects will involve the collection of data of some kind. In some cases, this will be based on native-speaker judgements. Other projects will require experimental data, the use of existing or specially-created corpora, longitudinal observation, or sociolinguistic interviews - to name but a few data sources. Will you be able to gain access to the data in the quantities required? Are there ethical concerns which need to be overcome? You should also be as specific as you can at this stage about the kinds of analysis you will perform. What specific techniques will you use? What statistical analyses will you be performing (if any)? Mention any software you envisage using.
• Fit with Departmental research interests Before you formulate your proposal, you should look carefully through the Department of Language and Linguistic Science web pages to identify staff members who might be able to supervise your research. You may mention the person or people by name. You are also encouraged (though you are not obliged) to contact individual staff members to find out if they believe your ideas to be viable and if they would in principle be interested in supervising your project.
• References You should provide a list of the works you have referred to in your proposal. Don't list other works which may be relevant: this is to assure the reader that you have read and understood the literature you have cited.

PhD/MPhil Language & Communication

In addition to the 250 to 350 word summary which you should provide as part of your main application form, please upload a fuller research proposal. The proposal should be between 1500 and 2000 words in length, and should contain at least the following:

• Title of proposed project This should allow the reader to place the research, at a glance, within an academic sub-field, as well as identifying the main issue to be addressed. It should not be more than 20 words long.
• Background Outline the area in which you propose to conduct research. Why is it important and interesting? What is the need for further research in this area? You should provide a theoretical (linguistic, psychological), social or pedagogical context for your research. Do this by referencing and briefly reviewing a number of key works in your chosen field, showing how your work is built on this prior research.
• Research Questions You should give at least one overarching research question, plus a number of more specific sub-questions. Make sure these questions all emerge from and are firmly grounded in the literature you have reviewed. Ensure that these questions - particularly the specific sub-questions - are researchable; that is, they should not be too broad or too general. You should also explain how these research questions can be considered original
• Data and data analysis All projects will involve the collection of data of some kind. Most projects in Language and Communication use naturally occurring data, such as everyday conversations, classroom interactions, clinical encounters, or online interaction. Will you be able to gain access to the data in the quantities required and within an appropriate timescale? Does your data have particular technical requirements such as video? Are there ethical concerns which need to be overcome? You should also be as specific as you can at this stage about the kinds of analysis you will perform. What specific techniques will you use? Mention any software you envisage using.
• Fit with Departmental research interests Before you formulate your proposal, you should look carefully through the Language & Communication web pages to identify staff members who might be able to supervise your research. You may mention the person or people by name. You are also encouraged (though you are not obliged) to contact individual staff members to find out if they believe your ideas to be viable and if they would in principle be interested in supervising your project.

A proposal should be around 1,500 to 2,000 words (excluding bibliography). It should include the working title of the project, the key words associated with your research and an idea of the original aspects of the project.

• Introduction : This section should briefly delimit the area of research, and identify the major issue, problem, or gap in knowledge which forms the background to your proposal, including any recent literature.
• Key research questions : You need to explain the issues you are addressing which have not been studied before, or not in the way that you intend to address them. Identify existing literature: candidates need to identify the main literature in the area and to demonstrate awareness of the major existing debates.
• Methodology : You should show awareness of different methodological tools that could be used to answer your research questions.
• An outline and timescale for the research : This schedule should attempt to break down the work required into manageable segments, which will often be based on sections of the thesis.
• Indicative bibliography (does not count towards the word limit proposed above) : The bibliography should include work that you have cited in the rest of the proposal as well as references to literature that will be followed up or used in the research project.

MD Medical Sciences

Your research proposal should provide a clear outline of the question or problem you wish to research, how this will contribute uniquely to the current research in this area and the research methods you intend to employ to achieve this.

To study an MD you must have a proposal that addresses issues of diagnosis or management in a clinical environment.

All other research degrees

Your research proposal should provide a clear outline of the questions or problem you wish to research, how this will contribute uniquely to the current research in this area and the research methods you intend to employ to achieve this.

Your proposal should be 500-1000 words, and include the following:

• background/introduction to your research interests
• main research aims
• methodology
• ethical considerations
• key literature references.

Give a description of at least 1500 words of your proposed research topic including the questions or hypotheses to be addressed, the sources to be consulted and the methods to be used. We are looking for your ability to articulate the problem or the area on which you are intending to focus. What challenges do you anticipate? What do you expect to find? Above all, how does your research fit with and add to what has already been done by other scholars in this field?

Provide an outline of your proposed research topic. It should be between 1,000 and 2,000 words.

MSc Music Technology (by research) PhD and MPhil Music Technology MSc Electronic Engineering (by research) PhD and MPhil Electronic Engineering MSc Physics (by research) PhD Physics

Provide a summary of your research interests or an outline of your proposed research topic.

Advertised research projects

If you are applying for an advertised research project , which gives full details of the project, you do not normally need to submit a research proposal but you must include the project name. You should contact the project leader, who may ask you to submit a research proposal.

If you are not applying for a particular research project, you should contact the member of academic staff you wish to work with, who may provide you with a research / project outline. The research proposal needs to describe the nature of your proposed study and give some indication of how you will conduct your research. The purpose of this exercise is to ensure that you and your potential supervisor(s) have matching research interests. The proposal should be 250 to 350 words in length. It must be in English, and be your own words.

PhD Plasma Science and Fusion Energy

You should use this section of the application form to address the following points:

• Referring to the Fusion CDT website, you should provide a preference-ordered list of the advertised projects in which you are interested, with a brief (one or two sentences) description of what interests you about each of these projects
• Explain, with justification, your relative interest in analytical theory, computational simulation, data modelling and experiment (it might be that you are interested in all these areas or only one of them - either is fine, but it is important that we understand your interests as clearly as possible).

Regardless of the preferences you express here, you will be considered for all available plasma strand projects.

This section should be no more than 500 words. It must be in English and be your own words.

Please see our guidance on writing a research proposal and sample proposals.

PhD in Global Development

Provide 1,000 words outlining the project and its importance, including the proposed interdisciplinary methodology and the project's contribution to the  Interdisciplinary Global Development Centre (IDGC)  research themes.

MPhil in Psychology

Attach a full research proposal (word document).

This should cover a summary of the topic that you propose to address that includes:

• key previous research in the area
• a statement of your broad aims and specific questions
• some information on the methods that you propose to use to tackle the questions.

Research proposals are typically two to three pages in length. We expect applicants to formulate this proposal in consultation with the staff member who will potentially supervise the work. For this reason, it is important that you contact a potential supervisor to discuss your research plans before submitting a formal application.

Research proposal summary

The research proposal summary (200 to 250 words) should be an abstract of your full research proposal (ie cover the same broad areas, much more concisely). While your potential supervisor should help you formulate the full research proposal, this summary should be entirely your own work. The clarity and quality of this summary will be assessed as part of your application.

If you are applying for an advertised research project, you don't need to complete a research proposal so please just state that you are applying for a advertised project in the research proposal summary box.

PhD Psychology/PhD Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging

For PhDs in Psychology/ Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, the only written work we require you to upload is the full research proposal (two to three pages).

The research proposal summary (200 to 250 words) should be an abstract of your full research proposal (ie cover the same broad areas, much more concisely).

While your potential supervisor should help you formulate the full research proposal, this summary should be entirely your own work. The clarity and quality of this summary will be assessed as part of your application.

Specific advertised research project

As we expect you to have developed your research proposal in collaboration with your potential supervisor, you need to name your potential supervisor in the preferred supervisor or research group, or field of research; not a more general research group or field of research.

If you are applying for a specific advertised research project, we do not require you to attach a research proposal; instead, you should:

• state that you are applying for an advertised project in the research proposal summary box, in the research proposal section
• on this page, upload a short personal statement explaining why you are interested in and suitable for the advertised research project.

Your proposal should be around 1500 to 2000 words. It should contain at least the following elements:

• A provisional title : this should indicate the focus of the PhD. It should include any key concepts, empirical focus, or lines of inquiry that you aim to pursue
• An overview of the research : in this section, you should provide an overview of your research. What questions are you trying to answer, or what hypothesis/ argument are you trying to explore? What are the main research objectives? What are the key aims of the research?
• A rationale: key literature and identify a gap in the literature : you need to ground your research in existing literature. In this part of the proposal, you should include the most important texts related to the research, in order to demonstrate your understanding of the research issues. You should highlight how your research will contribute to the existing literature. How does your work relate to the expertise within the department you are applying to?
• Research design and methodology : you need to explain how you are going to conduct your research; what information you would need, how you would collect it and how you are going to analyse it. You will rework on this with your supervisor(s) should you have been successfully admitted to the PhD course
• Timetable : You need to provide a realistic time table for the completion of your research
• References : You need to list the main published literature that you use to guide your research, as well any available data sources you may draw on.

Please supply a draft research proposal of about 1000 to 1500 words to include:

• Aims of your research
• Main research questions
• Rationale for research
• An indication of existing research in the field
• Proposed research methodology/methods
• Timetable to completion
• Bibliography.

You are here

Research resources, sterling library.

The majestic Sterling Library, completed in the 1930s, and with a collection of over four million volumes, is the center of the Yale library system. A fully-computerized catalog, an impressive list of online journals, air-conditioned stacks, and a gorgeous renovation of the main Reading Room and the Manuscripts and Archives Library are among the amenities offered by the library. For more details, please consult the extensive  Library website (in particular, English Resources ).

Beinecke Library

The Beinecke Library offers unparalleled opportunities for graduate students in English to carry out original research. Its collections of original editions, manuscripts, early newspapers, and the papers and correspondence of major writers, many of which have never been completely quarried, are a rich trove for future scholarship. The Beinecke has extraordinary holdings in both early and modern periods, with special depth in manuscripts relating to British , American , and African-American literature and art.  Authors represented include: William Beckford, Sir John Betjeman, James Boswell, Wilkie Collins, Joseph Conrad, James Fenimore Cooper, Walter Crane, Daniel Defoe, Charles Dickens, Jonathan Edwards, George Eliot, George Gissing, James Joyce, Rudyard Kipling, D.H. Lawrence, John Masefield, George Meredith, Alexander Pope, John Ruskin, Robert Louis Stevenson, Edith Wharton, Rebecca West, and Walt Whitman; artists include Georgia O’Keefe and Alfred Steiglitz. The Beinecke houses a particularly important collection of materials relating to international Modernism , including the papers of Ezra Pound, H.D., Gertrude Stein, William Carlos Williams, Mina Loy and Carl Van Vechten. And it was Van Vechten who founded the equally superb collection representing African-American writers and artists, featuring James Weldon Johnson, W.E.B. DuBois, Chester Himes, Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, Jean Toomer and Zora Neale Hurston. The largest collection of manuscripts remains, probably, the Osborn collection, encompassing nearly every aspect of British literature and history from the reign of Richard II to that of Victoria.

The Beinecke also offers a series of Master Classes in specialized fields such as paleography, biography, or the history of the book, conducted by distinguished visiting scholars.

The Lewis Walpole Library

A leading non-circulating research library for English eighteenth-century studies, the library contains 35,000 volumes, whose centerpiece is Horace Walpole’s own antiquarian library. The collection includes pamphlets and tracts documenting the history of Walpole’s times, and of plays of the period, in a comprehensive set known as The Theatre of George the 3d . The Library houses the most extensive collection of English eighteenth-century satirical prints in the United States, with highly detailed indices.

The Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library

The Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library at 180 York Street comprises the merged holdings of the former Art & Architecture and Drama Libraries, the Arts of the Book Collection, and the staff of the Visual Resources Collection, making it the primary collection for the study of art, architecture, and drama production at Yale. Currently, the drama collections have approximately 20,000 volumes, including plays by American, British, and international playwrights, books on the history of theatre, theatre architecture, dramatic criticism, costume and stage design, stage lighting and production, theatre management, biographies and related reference books. Non-book materials from the former Drama Library that document theatrical production through photographic prints, production books, scrapbooks, and ephemera are now part of the Arts Library Special Collections department. Highlights include the Rollo Peters Archive, the Rockefeller Theatrical Prints Collection, the Doolittle Collection of Japanese Theatre Prints, and the George Pierce Baker Collection. Yale School of Drama students are free to use the collections in the libraries of other graduate professional schools, the Sterling Memorial Library, the Bass Library and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

Lillian Goldman Law Library

The Lillian Goldman Law Library is located within the heart of the Yale Law School complex, providing the Law School community with ready access to one of the world’s finest collections of printed legal materials. These collections are complemented by access to a growing array of online sources, as well as the strong interdisciplinary collections housed nearby at more than twenty-five other campus libraries, including the Sterling Memorial Library and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library . A major goal of the Law School’s library is to support the needs of twenty-first-century legal researchers by integrating access to print and online sources throughout the library.

Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library

The Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library strives to be a center of excellence that develops and sustains services and resources to support the biomedical, health, and public health care information needs of Yale University and the Yale-New Haven Medical Center.

CENTERS and MUSEUMS

The mcdougal center.

The McDougal Center in the Hall of Graduate Studies houses a number of facilities for graduate students–a library and a reading room, computer facilities, the Blue Dog Café, a children’s play area and family resource room, meeting rooms, and lounges. McDougal Fellows–members of a graduate student administrative group–help oversee programs and activities from their offices in the Center.

The Whitney Humanities Center

The Whitney Humanities Center is an interdisciplinary institution that reflects Yale University’s longstanding commitment to the humanities. The Whitney promotes research and scholarly exchange across fields and is especially committed to supporting the activities of faculty and students whose work transcends departmental boundaries.

Beyond this, the Whitney hosts a wide array of events, from international symposia and lectures that bring prominent visitors to the university, to small “working groups” that meet regularly for a free and informal exchange of ideas among faculty and students on topics of more than disciplinary interest.

The Yale Center for British Art

Housing the largest collection of British art outside the United Kingdom, this museum was founded when Yale graduate Paul Mellon bequeathed his extraordinary collection of British art to the university, and funded the handsome modern building that contains it. Both the reference room of the library, and the Rare Book and Print Room, offer graduate students in English opportunities for interdisciplinary work involving the visual arts.

The Yale University Art Gallery

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA) at the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art are designed to provide Yale University doctoral students, in their second through sixth year, the opportunity to work as part of an intellectual team on a major scholarly project at one of the museums. These research positions enhance the educational experiences provided by academic course work and teaching assistantships at the University, allowing students to extend their range of academic specializations and expertise, and to augment research skills by direct contact with objects in the collections.

The Gallery also offers a number of scholarly lectures, workshops, and symposia each year. They are eager to develop and coordinate this programming in conjunction with courses being taught across the University and welcome discussions of upcoming course schedules, departmental colloquia or symposia, research emphases, or other points of potential overlap.

The Elizabethan Club

The Elizabethan Club contains about 300 volumes of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century literature, including the first four Shakespeare folios, the Huth Shakespeare quartos, and first or early quartos of all the major dramatists. The books may be brought to the Beinecke Library.