research proposal for geography

Guidelines to Writing a Research Proposal

All Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) students must write an acceptable research proposal.

This has a clear and explicit purpose:

• it makes certain that you have a worthwhile research project - you have a good grasp of the relevant literature and the major issues, and that your methodology is sound;
• it will show that you have the competence and work-plan to complete the research;
• it includes sufficient information for us to evaluate the proposed study; and
• we can be certain we have the right staff expertise to supervise you.

All research proposals must address the question of what you plan to accomplish and why you want to and how you are going to do it.

A research proposal is usually around 2,500 words long although there is no upper or lower limit to this.

In preparing a research proposal, the first thing that you have to do is to decide what it really is that you want to know more about. The questions that you want to research have to viable as a research project and lead to the creation of new knowledge and understanding.

Your research proposal should include a section on each of the following areas:

Ethical considerations

You will need to give consideration to issues of power and confidentiality. You should read any appropriate ethical guidelines and ask yourself how/whether you project follows these. [All research students at Oxford University are required (before they commence fieldwork) to complete the Central University Research Ethics Committee (CUREC) checklist and obtain permission to undertake any fieldwork].

Time scales

It is important that you map out a reasonable schedule of your work so that you can monitor your own progress and manage your project effectively. Start with your intended finishing date and do not underestimate the amount of time that it takes to finalise your drafts into a finished product.

Dissemination

A key indicator of the work of much research is whether it is of publishable quality. You might like to give some consideration at this stage as to what sorts of things might be publishable and where you would like them to appear. This is especially important if you wish to pursue a career as an academic in a UK university.

When you have completed all of this then get other people, your peers as well as those more experienced than you, to read it and comment. This will help you to revise the proposal before you submit it. You can also make contact with departmental staff whose research interests are in a similar area to those you intend to undertake. They would be happy to give you advice and to discuss possible supervision.

• School of Geography and Planning

Writing your research proposal

Find out how to write your research proposal, and what to include in it.

Do I need to write a research proposal?

All applications for PhD study places in the School of Geography and Planning must include a proposal that outlines your topic and proposed programme of research.

The only exception to this requirement is when you are applying only for an advertised project, for which the title and description of the project are already given.

Your proposal will help us to make sure that:

• the topic is viable
• the school can provide appropriate supervision and other resources
• you have thought through your interest in, and commitment to, a piece of research

We recommend identifying a potential supervisor  who can provide you with advice on your topic and proposal, before you apply.

You should begin these conversations as early as possible: while scholarship deadlines tend to be in December/January, a good proposal takes time to craft and develop.

It is in your best interest to begin developing your proposal in good time to allow for constructive feedback and revisions.

What makes a strong PhD?

A PhD is an independent piece of research and writing that makes an original contribution to existing knowledge. It is typically between 75,000 to 100,000 words long and is conducted over three to three-and-a-half years full-time (or six to seven years part-time) depending on funding. 

The defining feature of a PhD is that it is yours. The topic will usually come from you, unless you are working on a predefined project attached to funding. Even then, you will take ownership of that project and make it your own.

The PhD will likely be the most challenging type of academic work you have ever done: it should also be the most rewarding.

Think carefully about whether a PhD is for you - it is a major time commitment and you will need to be prepared to overcome challenges and difficulties along the way. 

What should my research proposal look like?

Your research proposal is the main way the school evaluates the potential quality of your proposed PhD. It should be approximately 1,500 words long, and contain the following elements:

A provisional title

This is the headline for your proposed research and so it should include any key concepts, empirical focus, or lines of inquiry that you aim to pursue.

While your title may change, it is important to devise a title that describes what you aspire to research, and demonstrate its originality and value.

For example: ‘The environmental and social impacts of mass housing in Latin American countries’, or ‘Using water efficiently: understanding the impact of expanding middle-class demand on city water systems’.

A key question, hypothesis or the broad topic for investigation

You need key questions or hypotheses to drive your research. These will need to be original, timely and of importance to the discipline.

This could involve investigating something that no-one has looked at before, or it might mean taking a fresh approach to an existing topic or issue.

An outline of the key aims of the research

What will the PhD do?

Your aims will be broader than the questions/hypotheses. They should give a prospective statement about the overall destination of the PhD and its potential impact: in other words, what is the wider value of the research, and why does it matter?

This needs to be set within a brief overview, giving enough background to your research context to demonstrate that this research aim is credible and worthwhile: you do not need to give a great deal of factual detail.

A brief outline of key literature in the area (what we already know)

Situate your topic with reference to the existing research literature.

At PhD level, a literature review is more than simply a descriptive mapping exercise, it should cite key theories or debates and suggest how your project would engage with them. 

Explain how these ideas motivate your work, and how your thesis might support, extend, or challenge existing work.

A description of the topic and an explanation of why further research in the area is important (the gap in the literature - what we need to know)

Highlight what the gap in current knowledge is and how your research will contribute original scholarship.

Will your research provide a new perspective, generate new evidence, challenge existing assumptions?

By whom might the PhD be valued: scholars looking at a particular issue, communities within specific institutions, certain groups of people?

Provide further clarity on the specific focus of your research through a short list of questions (three to six is normal) that your research will answer.

These questions must be achievable within the framework of a PhD (within the usual three-and-a-half years tuition fee-paying period - with typically a maximum of around 12 months of fieldwork/data collection time).

Details of how the research will be carried out (the tools that will enable us to fill the gap you have identified)

This includes any special facilities or resources required and any necessary skills which you either have already or would need to acquire.

A clear methodological statement shows how you will execute your research project: it is relatively easy to ask a new question; it is more challenging to set out how you might come up with a convincing answer.

Outline your approach to your research as well as the methods you will use.

Of course, the resources you will need will vary according to the nature of the research: access to a particular archive, specialist library, visits to field sites, the use of analytical software, access to databases, training, workshop attendance and so on.

It is important to list any of these resources and give a very brief account of how their role in your research.

What is important is that there are coherent links between your aims, questions and proposed methods – why is using this evidence going to provide the most robust answer to your questions?

A plan and timetable of the work you will carry out

Submission of the PhD is expected to take place by the end of the tuition fee-paying period, which for most PhD candidates will be at three and a half years from the date of commencing PhD study.

Show how you will carry out your research within that timeframe. Try to be as detailed as you can at this stage.

We welcome applications from a very broad range of methodological and philosophical backgrounds: quantitative and qualitative; text-based and mapping big data; interpretive, positivist, realist, and many more.

Don't forget

• Try to be concise. Do not write too much – be as specific as you can but not 'wordy'. It is a difficult balance to strike.
• Bear in mind that the proposal is only a starting point. If you are registered to read for a PhD, you will be able to develop the proposal with your supervisor in more detail in the early months, leading up to a more advanced research outline and presentation towards the end of your first year of study.
• Take a look at our  staff profiles  and  research areas and topics . Ensure there is a good ‘fit’ between your proposal and our research: the stronger this is, the better able we are to support your research.

Submitting your proposal

Upload your research proposal document (as a PDF or Word document) within the online application form as part of your  PhD study place application .

If you also intend to apply for a scholarship , we recommend that you consult your proposed supervisor on appropriate scholarship opportunities, and about adapting your proposal to meet the requirements of the scholarships section of the online application form.

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GIS support to develop a research proposal

• Introduction
• Developing a proposal
• What is GIS/spatial thinking
• Instrument design

Useful links

• Spatial data collection tools

In order to be able to analyze research findings spatially or geographically, data needs to be in the correct format. It is therefore important to conceptualize at the beginning of the research, how the data will be analyzed. In recent years there has been an explosion of interest in the applications of spatial concepts and techniques in the social sciences (Voss 2007). The development has been especially intense among those researchers who are used to working with data that are aggregated for a territorial unit (a county, city, or neighbourhood). It is a natural step to take advantage of the Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies that make it relatively easy to map those data. More important, visualizing information on a map tends to bring up other questions about how to understand the patterns. At this point, GIS gives way to a myriad of tools of spatial analysis that are well established in geography and in some applied fields such as biostatistics, but that many social scientists are not yet familiar with it.

The techniques that geographers use in their work are not developed in a vacuum. They are developed to address specific problems and, thus, reflect the focus of the discipline at times. These techniques reflect the conscious decisions of geographers about the kinds of information that are important to collect; the spatial scales at which information should be collected, compiled, analysed and displayed; data sampling strategies and experimental designs; data representation; and methods for data analysis.

The Table below shows the steps in the GIS proposal development process.

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• Faculty of Environment
• School of Geography
• Research degrees

Writing a research proposal

What is a research proposal .

Getting your research proposal right is a critical part of the PhD application process if you’re not choosing an advertised project and want to conduct your own research idea.  

It’s essentially your sales pitch to showcase your proposed research topic, why it’s relevant to the wider world – and why you’re the best person to carry it out. It’s the first time the School will see your project idea, so it’s vital this proposal conveys the importance and originality of your research, based on current knowledge and existing literature surrounding the topic. 

As well as the ‘why’, you’ll also detail how you’re going to approach your research, what you hope to achieve and the potential impact your project will have. 

What should your proposal include? 

Below is an outline of the elements a research proposal might typically include: 

Title page – A clear and succinct description of your research 

Introduction (250-350 words) – A brief explanation of what you propose to research, why the research is of value, where its originality lies and how it contributes to the literature. You can also demonstrate any aims and objectives of your research in this section. 

Literature review (1,200-1,400 words) – A thorough examination of key, recent contributions in research periodicals relating to the area of research in question. You should use the literature review to identify gaps in – or problems with – existing research to justify why further or new research is required. You should include a clear statement of your research questions. 

Research Method (1,200-1,400 words) – A description of your choice of methodology, including details of methods of data collection and analysis. 

Conclusion (200-250 words) – A summary of your project which collates the key points clearly. Remember, this is your final chance to convey why the School should choose your project – so make it compelling. 

Bibliography/ References – Any literature cited in the proposal should be listed at the end of the document. Broadly speaking, Harvard referencing is the preferred style. 

Top tips to making your proposal great  

Keep it succinct and clear – try not to overcomplicate or go into excessive detail at this stage. The proposal is the starting point so make sure you’re getting across the key points in a structured, concise and clear way.  

Demonstrate your expertise – this proposal is your chance to really showcase your knowledge and skills in the area you’re hoping to research so don’t hold back. Use this opportunity to demonstrate exactly why you’re the best person to conduct this project. 

Proof your work – ensuring your proposal is free of spelling or grammar errors is so important. You want to explain your project in the best way possible, without mistakes distracting the flow and, therefore, the impact of what you’re saying. Plus, it shows you have a critical eye which is one of the key skills you’ll need for your PhD. 

Make it compelling – Yes, your proposal is a factual document, but it also needs to stand out. Letting your passion, originality and drive for your chosen topic shine through will help give your proposal the edge in this highly competitive process. 

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Proposal form

Guidelines for the Thesis Proposal Overview (see also MA/MSc and PhD details)

Why create a thesis proposal.

• The idea of a proposal is to introduce your topic and to contextualize it in the relevant fields; identify methods to be used; data to be collected; and utility and importance of potential results
• Master's - identify how your research builds upon and expands current knowledge in the field - e.g. gaps in the geographical literature; recommendations for policy and/or practice
• Doctoral - in addition to the Master's expectations, identify significant contributions to knowledge. These may include contributions to theory and/or methods.
• Why your research is important and why does it need to be done?
• How you will conduct your research? (method, data collection, what material you will need, analyses)
• Where will your study area be? As this is a geography  research proposal, this is paramount to highlight
• When will your project be complete? You will want to create a realistic schedule to estimate the time required to complete the various phases of your work within your programs' duration (two years Masters / four years PhD)
• The intent is to provide both you and your advisory committee a clear, succinct statement of your research plan to ensure that all parties agree and understand your project; and all can be confident about its successful completion

Tips for proposal writing

Know who you are writing for

• create your proposal as if readers are not experts on your topic; avoid jargon, but do use appropriate disciplinary terms when necessary

Make your proposal inspiring

• persuade your readers that the project is worth doing and as the researcher, you are prepared and capable to successfully execute it

The proposal is not a binding contract

• those that are involved understand that aspects of the research may change: this document is a starting point
• consider your proposal a blueprint for how you plan to pursue your research in a feasible, timely way
• your proposal is an academic document first and foremost, so make sure it is edited and formatted correctly
• the proposal should be tight and focused, while there might be a desire to have a massive literature review, this is taking away from your proposal! Keep sections, like the literature review, to a minimum and save that juicy information for your actual thesis
• length will vary depending on project and supervisor/committee. Normally, a masters thesis proposal is roughly 10-15 pages text, while the PhD proposal 15-20 text. If you go well beyond these limits, you are not writing a proposal--you are writing a chapter: STOP!
• have a clear title, make it intriguing and understandable by individuals not in your field

Consult your committee

• work closely with your supervisor to develop your proposal
• ask your committee for feedback on drafts of your proposal
• get additional feedback from peers to ensure that your proposal is clear and concise

Essential elements of the proposal

Introduction/Statement of Question

• make explicit the question(s) or problem(s) of your research
• precision and focused; not broad and general
• state the geographic aspect to the research

Definition of study area & terms

• where will your study take place?
• define and explain key terms and concepts of your research

Relevant background literature

• contextualize your research in the larger field of geography
• review and appraise works that address your general field of research
• identify gaps; relevant debates; show where your research will fit and contribute
• how will you analyze and interpret the data?
• what analytical tools, approaches and strategies will be used?

Anticipated Results

• what will the results tell us?
• what is the utility of the research; and for whom?
• what is the benefit of the research?

Limitations of Study

• acknowledge the limitations in your proposed research

Tentative Timetable

• how will you organize your time within the parameters of the program? (M=2 years; D=4 years)
• identify in your timeline, the duration and completion times of major tasks and milestones

Bibliography and Appendix

• limit the bibliography to works cited in the proposal
• for qualitative work, include sample questionnaires and interview questions

Role of Committee and Draft-edit Process

The thesis advisory committee's role is to provide detailed and constructive commentary to the point that the proposal may be approved by a majority, but preferably the entire committee. It is highly recommended that the proposal process for PhD candidates involves at least one face-to-face meeting with the entire thesis advisory committee; and this is also useful for Masters candidates. Typically, at least one draft-edit sequence between the candidate and the supervisor is required to produce a proposal that is acceptable for subsequent circulation to the rest of the thesis advisory committee. Several draft-edit sequences may be necessary before final approval.  

The content and structure of the proposal should be developed in consultation with the thesis advisory committee before writing.  It is useful to organize the proposal along the same lines as the final thesis (e.g., introduction, theory or background literature, methods or research design, results or findings, (expected) contributions.  The proposal is to be written in formal style and should include a reference list of (only) material cited.  Details of the format of a thesis are outlined in section 8 of the SGPS thesis regulations .  For those students who take the Research Design course (9099) (e.g., all Masters students), the proposal is generally an enhanced version of the one submitted for 9099.  After the proposal is approved (see below) the student engages in research, aimed at the production of their thesis. 

Ethics:  Research Involving Human Participants ("Subjects")

If a student is planning to conduct research involving human participants (e.g., survey, participant observation, interviews) they need to obtain Ethics approval from the University's Non-Medical Research Ethics Board .  This is not a simple process and, since from start to finish the Ethics process takes about six weeks , the student and supervisor (along with the thesis advisory committee) need to plan accordingly.  The departmental procedures are listed on our Geography Ethics Application Screening Committee page.

MA/MSc Proposal Details 

Approval by : Supervisor and Committee . (use proposal form ).

Timing : The proposal will be completed by the end of t erm 2 in time for diagnostics meeting, or at the very latest the end of term 3 or students may be withdrawn from the program.

Page limit : Most supervisors prefer a maximum 2500-3000 words (10-15 pages double spaced); figures, appendices, and the reference list are not part of the word/page count.

PhD Proposal Details

Approval by : Comprehensive Examination Committee (use proposal form ) - majority required - full consensus preferred.

Timing : The proposal is submitted at the start of the written component of the comprehensive/proposal examination. The proposal may be questioned during the oral component of the comprehensiv e/proposal examination . It is typically approved in term 4 or 5 (i.e., Fall or Winter with a Fall start) and must be completed no later than the end of term 6 or students may be withdrawn from the program. Only in exceptional situations will deadline extensions be granted. An extension must be recommended to the Grad Chair by the Advisory Committee .

Page limit : Most supervisors prefer a maximum 3800-5000 words (15-20 pages double spaced); figures, appendices, and the reference list are not part of the word/page count.  

Monograph or Integrated-Article :  In addition to the format section above, it is important to identify clearly whether the thesis will be one of two SGPS approved formats    i) monograph or ii) integrated-article format.  If the thesis will be in integrated-article format, the student needs to clearly identify each of the manuscripts along with the individual problems, questions and methods involved with each. The Graduate Affairs Committee has compiled detailed descriptions of both a Monograph and Integrated Article Format thesis. Please be sure to review this document when starting to prepare for your research/ thesis writing. 

All But Dissertation (ABD) :  Occurs once a student completes all program milestones.  A student can now qualify to teach a course, in lieu of a TA.

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Writing a research proposal

A guide for writing a research proposal for all MScR, MPhil and PhD degrees in the School of GeoSciences. 

If you are applying with your own project, you need to include a research proposal with your application. The proposal should not exceed four (4) pages in length for PhDs and two (2) pages for MScR.

Your proposal should contain the following headings:

Please upload a PDF document in A4, font size 11, Arial or another sans serif font equivalent in size. 

Further guidance

The University has provided a comprehensive guide on writing a proposal.  

You can view or download it as a PDF:

This article was published on 2024-07-01

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The goal of a research proposal is twofold: to present and justify the need to study a research problem and to present the practical ways in which the proposed study should be conducted. The design elements and procedures for conducting research are governed by standards of the predominant discipline in which the problem resides, therefore, the guidelines for research proposals are more exacting and less formal than a general project proposal. Research proposals contain extensive literature reviews. They must provide persuasive evidence that a need exists for the proposed study. In addition to providing a rationale, a proposal describes detailed methodology for conducting the research consistent with requirements of the professional or academic field and a statement on anticipated outcomes and benefits derived from the study's completion.

Krathwohl, David R. How to Prepare a Dissertation Proposal: Suggestions for Students in Education and the Social and Behavioral Sciences . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2005.

How to Approach Writing a Research Proposal

Your professor may assign the task of writing a research proposal for the following reasons:

• Develop your skills in thinking about and designing a comprehensive research study;
• Learn how to conduct a comprehensive review of the literature to determine that the research problem has not been adequately addressed or has been answered ineffectively and, in so doing, become better at locating pertinent scholarship related to your topic;
• Improve your general research and writing skills;
• Practice identifying the logical steps that must be taken to accomplish one's research goals;
• Critically review, examine, and consider the use of different methods for gathering and analyzing data related to the research problem; and,
• Nurture a sense of inquisitiveness within yourself and to help see yourself as an active participant in the process of conducting scholarly research.

A proposal should contain all the key elements involved in designing a completed research study, with sufficient information that allows readers to assess the validity and usefulness of your proposed study. The only elements missing from a research proposal are the findings of the study and your analysis of those findings. Finally, an effective proposal is judged on the quality of your writing and, therefore, it is important that your proposal is coherent, clear, and compelling.

Regardless of the research problem you are investigating and the methodology you choose, all research proposals must address the following questions:

• What do you plan to accomplish? Be clear and succinct in defining the research problem and what it is you are proposing to investigate.
• Why do you want to do the research? In addition to detailing your research design, you also must conduct a thorough review of the literature and provide convincing evidence that it is a topic worthy of in-depth study. A successful research proposal must answer the "So What?" question.
• How are you going to conduct the research? Be sure that what you propose is doable. If you're having difficulty formulating a research problem to propose investigating, go here for strategies in developing a problem to study.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Failure to be concise . A research proposal must be focused and not be "all over the map" or diverge into unrelated tangents without a clear sense of purpose.
• Failure to cite landmark works in your literature review . Proposals should be grounded in foundational research that lays a foundation for understanding the development and scope of the the topic and its relevance.
• Failure to delimit the contextual scope of your research [e.g., time, place, people, etc.]. As with any research paper, your proposed study must inform the reader how and in what ways the study will frame the problem.
• Failure to develop a coherent and persuasive argument for the proposed research . This is critical. In many workplace settings, the research proposal is a formal document intended to argue for why a study should be funded.
• Sloppy or imprecise writing, or poor grammar . Although a research proposal does not represent a completed research study, there is still an expectation that it is well-written and follows the style and rules of good academic writing.
• Too much detail on minor issues, but not enough detail on major issues . Your proposal should focus on only a few key research questions in order to support the argument that the research needs to be conducted. Minor issues, even if valid, can be mentioned but they should not dominate the overall narrative.

Procter, Margaret. The Academic Proposal.  The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Sanford, Keith. Information for Students: Writing a Research Proposal. Baylor University; Wong, Paul T. P. How to Write a Research Proposal. International Network on Personal Meaning. Trinity Western University; Writing Academic Proposals: Conferences, Articles, and Books. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing a Research Proposal. University Library. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Structure and Writing Style

Beginning the Proposal Process

As with writing most college-level academic papers, research proposals are generally organized the same way throughout most social science disciplines. The text of proposals generally vary in length between ten and thirty-five pages, followed by the list of references. However, before you begin, read the assignment carefully and, if anything seems unclear, ask your professor whether there are any specific requirements for organizing and writing the proposal.

A good place to begin is to ask yourself a series of questions:

• What do I want to study?
• Why is the topic important?
• How is it significant within the subject areas covered in my class?
• What problems will it help solve?
• How does it build upon [and hopefully go beyond] research already conducted on the topic?
• What exactly should I plan to do, and can I get it done in the time available?

In general, a compelling research proposal should document your knowledge of the topic and demonstrate your enthusiasm for conducting the study. Approach it with the intention of leaving your readers feeling like, "Wow, that's an exciting idea and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!"

Most proposals should include the following sections:

I.  Introduction

In the real world of higher education, a research proposal is most often written by scholars seeking grant funding for a research project or it's the first step in getting approval to write a doctoral dissertation. Even if this is just a course assignment, treat your introduction as the initial pitch of an idea based on a thorough examination of the significance of a research problem. After reading the introduction, your readers should not only have an understanding of what you want to do, but they should also be able to gain a sense of your passion for the topic and to be excited about the study's possible outcomes. Note that most proposals do not include an abstract [summary] before the introduction.

Think about your introduction as a narrative written in two to four paragraphs that succinctly answers the following four questions :

• What is the central research problem?
• What is the topic of study related to that research problem?
• What methods should be used to analyze the research problem?
• Answer the "So What?" question by explaining why this is important research, what is its significance, and why should someone reading the proposal care about the outcomes of the proposed study?

II.  Background and Significance

This is where you explain the scope and context of your proposal and describe in detail why it's important. It can be melded into your introduction or you can create a separate section to help with the organization and narrative flow of your proposal. Approach writing this section with the thought that you can’t assume your readers will know as much about the research problem as you do. Note that this section is not an essay going over everything you have learned about the topic; instead, you must choose what is most relevant in explaining the aims of your research.

To that end, while there are no prescribed rules for establishing the significance of your proposed study, you should attempt to address some or all of the following:

• State the research problem and give a more detailed explanation about the purpose of the study than what you stated in the introduction. This is particularly important if the problem is complex or multifaceted .
• Present the rationale of your proposed study and clearly indicate why it is worth doing; be sure to answer the "So What? question [i.e., why should anyone care?].
• Describe the major issues or problems examined by your research. This can be in the form of questions to be addressed. Be sure to note how your proposed study builds on previous assumptions about the research problem.
• Explain the methods you plan to use for conducting your research. Clearly identify the key sources you intend to use and explain how they will contribute to your analysis of the topic.
• Describe the boundaries of your proposed research in order to provide a clear focus. Where appropriate, state not only what you plan to study, but what aspects of the research problem will be excluded from the study.
• If necessary, provide definitions of key concepts, theories, or terms.

III.  Literature Review

Connected to the background and significance of your study is a section of your proposal devoted to a more deliberate review and synthesis of prior studies related to the research problem under investigation . The purpose here is to place your project within the larger whole of what is currently being explored, while at the same time, demonstrating to your readers that your work is original and innovative. Think about what questions other researchers have asked, what methodological approaches they have used, and what is your understanding of their findings and, when stated, their recommendations. Also pay attention to any suggestions for further research.

Since a literature review is information dense, it is crucial that this section is intelligently structured to enable a reader to grasp the key arguments underpinning your proposed study in relation to the arguments put forth by other researchers. A good strategy is to break the literature into "conceptual categories" [themes] rather than systematically or chronologically describing groups of materials one at a time. Note that conceptual categories generally reveal themselves after you have read most of the pertinent literature on your topic so adding new categories is an on-going process of discovery as you review more studies. How do you know you've covered the key conceptual categories underlying the research literature? Generally, you can have confidence that all of the significant conceptual categories have been identified if you start to see repetition in the conclusions or recommendations that are being made.

NOTE: Do not shy away from challenging the conclusions made in prior research as a basis for supporting the need for your proposal. Assess what you believe is missing and state how previous research has failed to adequately examine the issue that your study addresses. Highlighting the problematic conclusions strengthens your proposal. For more information on writing literature reviews, GO HERE .

To help frame your proposal's review of prior research, consider the "five C’s" of writing a literature review:

• Cite , so as to keep the primary focus on the literature pertinent to your research problem.
• Compare the various arguments, theories, methodologies, and findings expressed in the literature: what do the authors agree on? Who applies similar approaches to analyzing the research problem?
• Contrast the various arguments, themes, methodologies, approaches, and controversies expressed in the literature: describe what are the major areas of disagreement, controversy, or debate among scholars?
• Critique the literature: Which arguments are more persuasive, and why? Which approaches, findings, and methodologies seem most reliable, valid, or appropriate, and why? Pay attention to the verbs you use to describe what an author says/does [e.g., asserts, demonstrates, argues, etc.].
• Connect the literature to your own area of research and investigation: how does your own work draw upon, depart from, synthesize, or add a new perspective to what has been said in the literature?

IV.  Research Design and Methods

This section must be well-written and logically organized because you are not actually doing the research, yet, your reader must have confidence that you have a plan worth pursuing . The reader will never have a study outcome from which to evaluate whether your methodological choices were the correct ones. Thus, the objective here is to convince the reader that your overall research design and proposed methods of analysis will correctly address the problem and that the methods will provide the means to effectively interpret the potential results. Your design and methods should be unmistakably tied to the specific aims of your study.

Describe the overall research design by building upon and drawing examples from your review of the literature. Consider not only methods that other researchers have used, but methods of data gathering that have not been used but perhaps could be. Be specific about the methodological approaches you plan to undertake to obtain information, the techniques you would use to analyze the data, and the tests of external validity to which you commit yourself [i.e., the trustworthiness by which you can generalize from your study to other people, places, events, and/or periods of time].

When describing the methods you will use, be sure to cover the following:

• Specify the research process you will undertake and the way you will interpret the results obtained in relation to the research problem. Don't just describe what you intend to achieve from applying the methods you choose, but state how you will spend your time while applying these methods [e.g., coding text from interviews to find statements about the need to change school curriculum; running a regression to determine if there is a relationship between campaign advertising on social media sites and election outcomes in Europe ].
• Keep in mind that the methodology is not just a list of tasks; it is a deliberate argument as to why techniques for gathering information add up to the best way to investigate the research problem. This is an important point because the mere listing of tasks to be performed does not demonstrate that, collectively, they effectively address the research problem. Be sure you clearly explain this.
• Anticipate and acknowledge any potential barriers and pitfalls in carrying out your research design and explain how you plan to address them. No method applied to research in the social and behavioral sciences is perfect, so you need to describe where you believe challenges may exist in obtaining data or accessing information. It's always better to acknowledge this than to have it brought up by your professor!

V.  Preliminary Suppositions and Implications

Just because you don't have to actually conduct the study and analyze the results, doesn't mean you can skip talking about the analytical process and potential implications . The purpose of this section is to argue how and in what ways you believe your research will refine, revise, or extend existing knowledge in the subject area under investigation. Depending on the aims and objectives of your study, describe how the anticipated results will impact future scholarly research, theory, practice, forms of interventions, or policy making. Note that such discussions may have either substantive [a potential new policy], theoretical [a potential new understanding], or methodological [a potential new way of analyzing] significance.   When thinking about the potential implications of your study, ask the following questions:

• What might the results mean in regards to challenging the theoretical framework and underlying assumptions that support the study?
• What suggestions for subsequent research could arise from the potential outcomes of the study?
• What will the results mean to practitioners in the natural settings of their workplace, organization, or community?
• Will the results influence programs, methods, and/or forms of intervention?
• How might the results contribute to the solution of social, economic, or other types of problems?
• Will the results influence policy decisions?
• In what way do individuals or groups benefit should your study be pursued?
• What will be improved or changed as a result of the proposed research?
• How will the results of the study be implemented and what innovations or transformative insights could emerge from the process of implementation?

NOTE:   This section should not delve into idle speculation, opinion, or be formulated on the basis of unclear evidence . The purpose is to reflect upon gaps or understudied areas of the current literature and describe how your proposed research contributes to a new understanding of the research problem should the study be implemented as designed.

ANOTHER NOTE : This section is also where you describe any potential limitations to your proposed study. While it is impossible to highlight all potential limitations because the study has yet to be conducted, you still must tell the reader where and in what form impediments may arise and how you plan to address them.

VI.  Conclusion

The conclusion reiterates the importance or significance of your proposal and provides a brief summary of the entire study . This section should be only one or two paragraphs long, emphasizing why the research problem is worth investigating, why your research study is unique, and how it should advance existing knowledge.

Someone reading this section should come away with an understanding of:

• Why the study should be done;
• The specific purpose of the study and the research questions it attempts to answer;
• The decision for why the research design and methods used where chosen over other options;
• The potential implications emerging from your proposed study of the research problem; and
• A sense of how your study fits within the broader scholarship about the research problem.

VII.  Citations

As with any scholarly research paper, you must cite the sources you used . In a standard research proposal, this section can take two forms, so consult with your professor about which one is preferred.

• References -- a list of only the sources you actually used in creating your proposal.
• Bibliography -- a list of everything you used in creating your proposal, along with additional citations to any key sources relevant to understanding the research problem.

In either case, this section should testify to the fact that you did enough preparatory work to ensure the project will complement and not just duplicate the efforts of other researchers. It demonstrates to the reader that you have a thorough understanding of prior research on the topic.

Most proposal formats have you start a new page and use the heading "References" or "Bibliography" centered at the top of the page. Cited works should always use a standard format that follows the writing style advised by the discipline of your course [e.g., education=APA; history=Chicago] or that is preferred by your professor. This section normally does not count towards the total page length of your research proposal.

Develop a Research Proposal: Writing the Proposal. Office of Library Information Services. Baltimore County Public Schools; Heath, M. Teresa Pereira and Caroline Tynan. “Crafting a Research Proposal.” The Marketing Review 10 (Summer 2010): 147-168; Jones, Mark. “Writing a Research Proposal.” In MasterClass in Geography Education: Transforming Teaching and Learning . Graham Butt, editor. (New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2015), pp. 113-127; Juni, Muhamad Hanafiah. “Writing a Research Proposal.” International Journal of Public Health and Clinical Sciences 1 (September/October 2014): 229-240; Krathwohl, David R. How to Prepare a Dissertation Proposal: Suggestions for Students in Education and the Social and Behavioral Sciences . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2005; Procter, Margaret. The Academic Proposal. The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Punch, Keith and Wayne McGowan. "Developing and Writing a Research Proposal." In From Postgraduate to Social Scientist: A Guide to Key Skills . Nigel Gilbert, ed. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2006), 59-81; Wong, Paul T. P. How to Write a Research Proposal. International Network on Personal Meaning. Trinity Western University; Writing Academic Proposals: Conferences , Articles, and Books. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing a Research Proposal. University Library. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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• How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

Published on October 12, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on September 5, 2024.

A research proposal describes what you will investigate, why it’s important, and how you will conduct your research.

The format of a research proposal varies between fields, but most proposals will contain at least these elements:

Introduction

Literature review.

• Research design

Reference list

While the sections may vary, the overall objective is always the same. A research proposal serves as a blueprint and guide for your research plan, helping you get organized and feel confident in the path forward you choose to take.

Table of contents

Research proposal purpose, research proposal examples, research design and methods, contribution to knowledge, research schedule, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research proposals.

Academics often have to write research proposals to get funding for their projects. As a student, you might have to write a research proposal as part of a grad school application , or prior to starting your thesis or dissertation .

In addition to helping you figure out what your research can look like, a proposal can also serve to demonstrate why your project is worth pursuing to a funder, educational institution, or supervisor.

Research proposal length

The length of a research proposal can vary quite a bit. A bachelor’s or master’s thesis proposal can be just a few pages, while proposals for PhD dissertations or research funding are usually much longer and more detailed. Your supervisor can help you determine the best length for your work.

One trick to get started is to think of your proposal’s structure as a shorter version of your thesis or dissertation , only without the results , conclusion and discussion sections.

Download our research proposal template

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Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We’ve included a few for you below.

• Example research proposal #1: “A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management”
• Example research proposal #2: “Medical Students as Mediators of Change in Tobacco Use”

Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes:

• The proposed title of your project
• Your supervisor’s name
• Your institution and department

The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project. Make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why.

Your introduction should:

• Introduce your topic
• Give necessary background and context
• Outline your  problem statement  and research questions

To guide your introduction , include information about:

• Who could have an interest in the topic (e.g., scientists, policymakers)
• How much is already known about the topic
• What is missing from this current knowledge
• What new insights your research will contribute
• Why you believe this research is worth doing

As you get started, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review  shows your reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory. It also shows that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said, but rather using existing research as a jumping-off point for your own.

In this section, share exactly how your project will contribute to ongoing conversations in the field by:

• Comparing and contrasting the main theories, methods, and debates
• Examining the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches
• Explaining how will you build on, challenge, or synthesize prior scholarship

Following the literature review, restate your main  objectives . This brings the focus back to your own project. Next, your research design or methodology section will describe your overall approach, and the practical steps you will take to answer your research questions.

To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential implications of your research for your field. Emphasize again what you aim to contribute and why it matters.

For example, your results might have implications for:

• Improving best practices
• Informing policymaking decisions
• Strengthening a theory or model
• Challenging popular or scientific beliefs
• Creating a basis for future research

Last but not least, your research proposal must include correct citations for every source you have used, compiled in a reference list . To create citations quickly and easily, you can use our free APA citation generator .

Some institutions or funders require a detailed timeline of the project, asking you to forecast what you will do at each stage and how long it may take. While not always required, be sure to check the requirements of your project.

Here’s an example schedule to help you get started. You can also download a template at the button below.

Download our research schedule template

If you are applying for research funding, chances are you will have to include a detailed budget. This shows your estimates of how much each part of your project will cost.

Make sure to check what type of costs the funding body will agree to cover. For each item, include:

• Cost : exactly how much money do you need?
• Justification : why is this cost necessary to complete the research?
• Source : how did you calculate the amount?

To determine your budget, think about:

• Travel costs : do you need to go somewhere to collect your data? How will you get there, and how much time will you need? What will you do there (e.g., interviews, archival research)?
• Materials : do you need access to any tools or technologies?
• Help : do you need to hire any research assistants for the project? What will they do, and how much will you pay them?

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement .

Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.

I will compare …

A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.

Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.

A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.

A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.

A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.

All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.

Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.

Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.

The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.

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Examples of research proposals

How to write your research proposal, with examples of good proposals.

Research proposals

Your research proposal is a key part of your application. It tells us about the question you want to answer through your research. It is a chance for you to show your knowledge of the subject area and tell us about the methods you want to use.

We use your research proposal to match you with a supervisor or team of supervisors.

In your proposal, please tell us if you have an interest in the work of a specific academic at York St John. You can get in touch with this academic to discuss your proposal. You can also speak to one of our Research Leads. There is a list of our Research Leads on the Apply page.

When you write your proposal you need to:

• Highlight how it is original or significant
• Explain how it will develop or challenge current knowledge of your subject
• Identify the importance of your research
• Show why you are the right person to do this research
• Research Proposal Example 1 (DOC, 49kB)
• Research Proposal Example 2 (DOC, 0.9MB)
• Research Proposal Example 3 (DOC, 55.5kB)
• Research Proposal Example 4 (DOC, 49.5kB)

Subject specific guidance

• Writing a Humanities PhD Proposal (PDF, 0.1MB)
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An research proposal examples on geography is a prosaic composition of a small volume and free composition, expressing individual impressions and thoughts on a specific occasion or issue and obviously not claiming a definitive or exhaustive interpretation of the subject.

Some signs of geography research proposal:

• the presence of a specific topic or question. A work devoted to the analysis of a wide range of problems in biology, by definition, cannot be performed in the genre of geography research proposal topic.
• The research proposal expresses individual impressions and thoughts on a specific occasion or issue, in this case, on geography and does not knowingly pretend to a definitive or exhaustive interpretation of the subject.
• As a rule, an essay suggests a new, subjectively colored word about something, such a work may have a philosophical, historical, biographical, journalistic, literary, critical, popular scientific or purely fiction character.
• in the content of an research proposal samples on geography , first of all, the author’s personality is assessed - his worldview, thoughts and feelings.

The goal of an research proposal in geography is to develop such skills as independent creative thinking and writing out your own thoughts.

Writing an research proposal is extremely useful, because it allows the author to learn to clearly and correctly formulate thoughts, structure information, use basic concepts, highlight causal relationships, illustrate experience with relevant examples, and substantiate his conclusions.

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