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Preparing a research proposal

Before you write a research proposal, the best first step would be to provide a 500 word outline of your proposed research project. Forward this to any academic you feel would best suit your project – you can find contact details for staff in the subject websites. If you receive a positive response, you should then look to submit a formal application in the form of a research proposal.

What is a research proposal?

Your research proposal needs to outline the nature of your proposed PhD study and give some indication of how you will conduct your research. It is an integral part of the PhD application process, so it is certainly worth investing time and energy into it.

Your research proposal should leave a positive first impression upon the reader about your ‘fitness’ to study a PhD. It is  your  project, so it is important to demonstrate leadership in this first stage of the application process. An ideal proposal should leave the reader feeling in no doubt that you have done some preliminary research about your subject and that you are knowledgeable and ready to tackle the challenges of the PhD.

Give your proposal your utmost attention and time, but also be realistic ‐ you are not expected to know everything at this stage. Your proposal can also be flexible. It is not a contract. Always ask someone else to read your proposal before you submit it, and to offer you some critical but supportive feedback.

Remember that a research proposal is about what  you  want to study; it immediately reflects your initial understanding of, and commitment to, PhD study. A research proposal can and should make a positive and powerful first impression about your potential to become a good researcher.

Importantly, the main purpose is to enable the university to assess whether you are a good ‘match’ for our supervisors and our areas of research expertise.

Therefore, in a good research proposal you will need to demonstrate two main things:

• that you are capable of  independent critical thinking and analysis
• that you are capable of  communicating your ideas clearly

Applying for a PhD is like applying for a job, you are not applying for a taught programme.

When you start a PhD you will become a valued researcher in an academic department. Through your research proposal your colleagues want to know whether they can work with you, and whether your ideas are focussed, interesting and realistic. Try and impress them!

Your proposal should be indicative and it should  outline  your areas of interest and your general insight into the research topic. You are  not  expected to be an expert and to be familiar with all the specific details of your subject. However, you are expected to have a good level of knowledge about the subject and where you might make a valuable contribution to research. The perfect research proposal should leave the reader interested, excited and wanting to find out more about your ideas, and about you!

6 steps to a successful research proposal

A good research proposal should not be complicated. However, it can be challenging to write and it is important to get right. A PhD is challenging, so it is good training working on your research proposal. Although there is no exact prescribed format for a general research proposal (across all subjects), a research proposal should generally include  six  main sections, as detailed below:

1)      A clear working title for your research project

• What will you call your project?
• What key words would describe your proposal?

2)      A clear statement about what you want to work on and why it is important, interesting, relevant and realistic

• What are your main research objectives? These could be articulated as hypotheses, propositions, research questions, or problems to solve
• What difference do you think your research will make?
• Why does this research excite you?
• What research ‘gaps’ will you be filling by undertaking your project?
• How might your research ‘add value’ to the subject?
• Is your research achievable in the time allocated? (e.g. 3 years full‐time)

3)      Some background knowledge and context of the area in which you wish to work, including key literature, key people, key research findings

• How does your work link to the work of others in the same field or related fields?
• Would your work support or contest the work of others?
• How does your work relate to the expertise within the department you are applying to?

4)      Some consideration of the methods/approach you might use

• How will you conduct your research?
• Will you use existing theories, new methods/approaches or develop new methods/approaches?
• How might you design your project to get the best results/findings?

5)      Some indication of the strategy and timetable for your research project and any research challenges you may face

• What would be the main stages of your project?
• What would you be expecting to do in each year of your PhD?
• What challenges might you encounter and how might your overcome these?

6)      A list of the key references which support your research proposal

• References should be listed in the appropriate convention for your subject area (e.g. Harvard). Such references should be used throughout your research proposal to demonstrate that you have read and understood the work of others
• Other relevant material that you are aware of, but not actually used in writing your proposal, can also be added as a bibliography

All of the above six sections are important but section 2 is particularly important because in any research project, establishing your main purpose represents the whole basis for completing the research programme. Therefore, the value of your proposed research is assessed in relation to your research aims and objectives.

How long should a good research proposal be?

A good research proposal is as long as it takes, but a guide would be 1000-2000 words. Remember that it is meant to be an accurate overview, not a thesis, so you need to provide enough detail for the reader to understand it. A paragraph would not be enough and 5000 words likely too much.

The '3Cs' rule

When you have written your research proposal, ask a friend to read it critically and provide you with feedback. Also, ask yourself whether it follows the '3Cs' rule:

CLEAR : is what you have written intelligible and clearly articulated? Does it make sense, or is it vague and confusing? Does your proposal leave the reader with a clear sense of the purpose and direction of your research project?

CONCISE : have you written your proposal in a succinct and focussed way?

COHERENT : does your proposal link together well so that it tells the reader a short story about what you want to do, why you want to do it and how you will do it?

If you can answer all of these questions with confidence, you have probably put together a good proposal.

Writing a Compelling Proposal in the Arts or Humanities

Some undergraduate research experiences may just fall in your lap (if you are just flat-out hired by a faculty mentor). Some may require an application process as if they were an “internship.” But if you’re lucky you may get to write a full research proposal. That may seem harder, but it’s a hugely useful preparation for any kind of grant writing you may have to do later in life. The best advice is always to follow the instructions in the proposal guidelines closely. Don’t forget a part, and don’t assume that your readers will know that you have covered something if you bury it in a general discussion. Be methodical and use lots of subheadings; this is not the beautiful essay you usually write.

Your proposal guidelines may ask for anything, but here are the most likely topics and how you can think about them. If your proposal asks for an abstract, please see our guide to writing an abstract .

Proposed Work/Goal

What is the goal of the project and why is achieving this goal important.

The goal of your project is not the same as the work you will do. That is, research and creative activity are not themselves the goal . Ask yourself what your scholarship or creative activity will contribute to human thought. If your goal includes a formal outcome such as an essay, a draft of a novel, or a collection of poems, you can mention this here (though you should make it the center of the section on Outcomes). But make sure you focus on the intellectual or creative achievement.

Bad : “My goal is to study Oscar Wilde.”

Good : “I want to determine how much (and what kind) of an impact Oscar Wilde had on the public’s awareness of homosexuality in his lifetime.”

Bad : My goal is to create some oil paintings about the environment.

Good : My goal is to expose our society’s implicit anthropocentrism through a series of paintings that reverse our traditional perspectives on Nature.

Background/Introduction

How does this project fit into work that has already been done by you or/and others, what is the strategy for completing this project, what do you wish to gain from this experience.

It’s worthwhile to explain how you personally will gain from the experience and how it will contribute to your intellectual development, but most organizations also want to see formal outcomes such as anticipated presentations, publication, etc. If you are required to be working toward a thesis, or if you are required to present at a campus-wide celebration of research, make sure you include those as outcome (don’t assume that your readers will fill in the “automatic” stuff) What if you’re not sure what outcomes are? Then think about this. If your project is as important as you say, then you should think about what would demonstrate that you have succeeded. If you are in the arts, you have a slightly easier job because your creations are your outcomes, but you should be as specific as possible. What exactly are you expecting to create? Don’t be afraid to specify numbers — no grant is going to “fire” you if you produce slightly more or slightly less than you planned.

What is the timeframe for completing this project?

If, as is likely, your project involves lots of reading, writing, or creative activity, you may feel a little frustrated with a detailed timeline. But this is the place to show those reading your proposal that your goals are achievable in the timeframe and that you have smaller goals along the way. Think about how you and your advisors will know that you are on track, that you are proceeding at the right pace, etc. Then write it down.

Use the MLA or Chicago format.

Check out these other guides from CURAH:

• How to write an abstract
• How to make a poster
• A list of regional and national conferences where you can present your work

2 thoughts on “Writing a Compelling Proposal in the Arts or Humanities”

This is a great article to share with undergraduates — thanks!

“What is the strategy for completing this project?

If your project is a creative one, you can emphasize your strategy for creating, though you may want to explain how some reading will be a part of your development of the project. If your project is scholarly, you should emphasize the reading and research you’ll do. ..” This article (blog?) is very good and it will be exceptionally useful for today’s undergraduates in the arts, but it seems to preclude “research” that does not involve reading and writing. “Arts-Based Research” is still an unfamiliar concept to many at the faculty level, and it would be helpful to include creative research that involves observation, experience and practice. Several years ago when I first began to introduce the idea of UR to my studio colleagues, I heard comments such as “ok, I’ll make my painting students write a paper….” This is a fantastic resource, and including additional types of “research” will make a lot of sense to BFA students.

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The Arts and Humanities Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research

UCLA's Undergraduate Research Journal for the Humanities and Social Sciences

Writing a Research Proposal: a How-To Guide for You and for Me

Author: Leika Keys

Editor: Eva Li

My Research Proposal

My name is Leika Keys and I am a fourth-year political science major at UCLA and the outreach coordinator here at Aleph . As the sun sets on my senior year, my long-waited and planned existential crisis can finally emerge out of its nest. In response, I have frantically been searching for a grad program to throw myself in. Somewhere along the way, I found myself writing research proposals to universities in the U.K. and Japan, hoping to continue my educational career. Maybe, you find yourself in the same position as me—desperately trying to figure out your next step before you (in my case, virtually) walk across the graduation stage. If so, let me offer you some insights and hopefully ease your panic. 

Key words: research, existential crises, graduate school, Japan, U.K., politics

Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge that I am incredibly lucky and privileged to even consider graduate school. The last thing I want to insinuate is that I am an aimless 21-year-old that throws money at new ventures and hopes something will stick. While there is a lot of anxiety and dread surrounding this process and decision, I acknowledge that my economic status allows me to dip my feet into a postgraduate degree, something that I am aware that not everyone can engage with.

In a research proposal, you are trying to answer these questions: what your research topic is, why it is a valuable pursuit, and how it can be accomplished. Try to answer these expansive questions as concisely as possible—if you can, then you’re golden. I know that sounds way easier than it actually is. My proposal ponders the idea of a link between online American and Japanese right-wing politics and will explain how it will continue to affect the political landscape of both countries. To achieve this, my methodology proposes to analyze the rhetoric of extreme right-wing posts made by American and Japanese users of social media sites (i.e. 5channel and Twitter). Japanese scholars have conducted some research on this topic, but I believe my angle has not been investigated– yet. 

However strongly I am attached to this project, I would like to emphasize that this research topic may not come to fruition. I want to place the biggest asterisk here and say that everything— and I mean everything —is subject to change .

Methodology

French philosopher Michel Foucault claimed that the greatest form of self-care is to know oneself. I’d like to extend this advice to writing your proposal. It actually took me years to discover my work habits and they’ve never remained constant. Through trial and error, I learned (and am still learning) how my brain works. Personally, I finish other responsibilities the day before starting on my research proposal. Then, I block out an entire day to focus on the proposal. This method, however, I would like to stress is what works for me.

Maybe, you like to work on your research proposal for an hour or two everyday. Or, maybe you need the pressure of an impending deadline that propels you to work harder and faster towards the due date. By now, you probably already know your most effective studying strategies— do not ignore them . You can watch as many videos on YouTube on “how to be productive” as you can but keep Foucault’s words in mind. Don’t try to use someone else’s methods in an effort to be more productive if you can’t follow them.

My biggest struggle has been to learn a whole new sector of information to draft my proposal. I knew almost nothing about Japanese politics before I formulated my proposal’s objective. My only research experience is a paper I wrote on highway development in Phoenix, Arizona of all things. As you already know, my graduate proposal is quite different from my research experience – I am comparing and contrasting the right-wing politics of the United States and Japan. Many other students can relate to the fluctuations of my research interests. So many of us have too many passions and have really struggled to narrow in not only on our research desires but what career we want to pursue after our undergraduate years. I found myself constantly muttering, “I have no idea what I’m doing.” And no matter how true this may feel, the good news is that it isn’t 100% factual. 

After more than a decade of formal education, we have developed instincts to figure out the hallmarks of a sound project. As daunting as it sounds, trying to ingest new knowledge is manageable. First, I started reading contemporary news articles pertinent to my interests and pinpointed the authors of the research cited. From there, I determined the leading experts in my field and read their research. Then, I spoke to professors both from UCLA and other institutions to gauge their thoughts on my ideas. 

Therefore, I recommend reaching out to anyone and everyone . Cold emailing is one of the most stressful forms of communication – at times, you may feel like an attention-seeking child begging for a sense of validation. However, the painful truth is that you cannot conduct your potentially groundbreaking research on your own. You must learn how to advocate for yourself and force people to listen to your ideas. As someone who is innately quite shy, this has been ridiculously and laughably hard for me. However, I encourage you to swallow this annoying pill regularly and do what needs to be done. 

Significance

While my research interests are not necessarily uncommon, many people are not scrambling to study Japanese right-wing politics. However, my fascination for this topic runs deep. Since high school and the 2016 election, I’ve been fascinated with the right-wing political ecosystem in the United States. Even though the U.S. is a young country, there is much history within the world of conservative politics. The right-wing movement consists of so many different kinds of people and factions that even I struggle to keep up with them. On top of that, my half-Japanese identity motivated me to research this topic. Thus, my own personal history encouraged me to study the history and current politics of both countries. While there are a plethora of other topics within political science I would also love to study like healthcare policy and leftist organizing, I’m ultimately happy with my choice. That is all I can ask for. 

The biggest question I had to weigh was whether or not I should go to grad school. Though I have decided to apply to these programs, it does not mean I want to go. I love political science – I love learning how different people within and across borders attempt to develop ways to coexist; I love researching an enthralling topic and the feeling of not wanting to stop, to keep digging. But going into research after your undergraduate degree seems absolutely frightening, to say the least. Every faculty member and grad student I’ve talked to expected undergraduates to define the parameters of their research interests and never waver from them. Again, you need to carve out a space for yourself and dig your heels in. I’ve learned confidence will apparently get you far in academia. I may not have developed this sense of confidence yet, but I have enough faith in myself to make my own nest in this world and continue working on this proposal. 

Whether you decide to attend graduate school or not, I trust you can find your own place and peace within (or without) the education system. It will require work on your part but the process and these stressful thoughts won’t last forever and I guarantee that you will work it out for yourself.

Keep in mind that this is just a proposal. You will not be asked to live and die by these pages of paper in your postgraduate career or in your life for that matter. Plans deviate, ideas change, and the world moves on. As stressful as this new chapter is, academia has not killed you yet and your proposal will not be the final nail on the coffin that is your academic and professional career. 

“Do I need to even be that accurate in my citations?” Yes, you do. Don’t even bother getting around this one. Just cut to the chase and stop cutting corners. 

Foucault, Michel, Paul Rabinow, Robert Hurley, and James D. Faubion. Ethics: Subjectivity and Truth . London, UK: Penguin, 2000.

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5.2: Steps in Developing a Research Proposal

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Learning Objectives

• Identify the steps in developing a research proposal.
• Choose a topic and formulate a research question and working thesis.
• Develop a research proposal.

Writing a good research paper takes time, thought, and effort. Although this assignment is challenging, it is manageable. Focusing on one step at a time will help you develop a thoughtful, informative, well-supported research paper.

Your first step is to choose a topic and then to develop research questions, a working thesis, and a written research proposal. Set aside adequate time for this part of the process. Fully exploring ideas will help you build a solid foundation for your paper.

Choosing a Topic

When you choose a topic for a research paper, you are making a major commitment. Your choice will help determine whether you enjoy the lengthy process of research and writing—and whether your final paper fulfills the assignment requirements. If you choose your topic hastily, you may later find it difficult to work with your topic. By taking your time and choosing carefully, you can ensure that this assignment is not only challenging but also rewarding.

Writers understand the importance of choosing a topic that fulfills the assignment requirements and fits the assignment’s purpose and audience. (For more information about purpose and audience, see Chapter 6 “Writing Paragraphs: Separating Ideas and Shaping Content”.) Choosing a topic that interests you is also crucial. You instructor may provide a list of suggested topics or ask that you develop a topic on your own. In either case, try to identify topics that genuinely interest you.

After identifying potential topic ideas, you will need to evaluate your ideas and choose one topic to pursue. Will you be able to find enough information about the topic? Can you develop a paper about this topic that presents and supports your original ideas? Is the topic too broad or too narrow for the scope of the assignment? If so, can you modify it so it is more manageable? You will ask these questions during this preliminary phase of the research process.

Identifying Potential Topics

Sometimes, your instructor may provide a list of suggested topics. If so, you may benefit from identifying several possibilities before committing to one idea. It is important to know how to narrow down your ideas into a concise, manageable thesis. You may also use the list as a starting point to help you identify additional, related topics. Discussing your ideas with your instructor will help ensure that you choose a manageable topic that fits the requirements of the assignment.

In this chapter, you will follow a writer named Jorge, who is studying health care administration, as he prepares a research paper. You will also plan, research, and draft your own research paper.

Jorge was assigned to write a research paper on health and the media for an introductory course in health care. Although a general topic was selected for the students, Jorge had to decide which specific issues interested him. He brainstormed a list of possibilities.

If you are writing a research paper for a specialized course, look back through your notes and course activities. Identify reading assignments and class discussions that especially engaged you. Doing so can help you identify topics to pursue.

Possible topics

• Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) in the news
• Sexual education programs
• Hollywood and eating disorders
• Americans’ access to public health information
• Media portrayal of the health care reform bill
• Depictions of drugs on television
• The effect of the Internet on mental health
• Popularized diets (such as low-carbohydrate diets)
• Fear of pandemics (bird flu, H1N1, SARS)
• Electronic entertainment and obesity
• Advertisements for prescription drugs
• Public education and disease prevention

Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

Set a timer for five minutes. Use brainstorming or idea mapping to create a list of topics you would be interested in researching for a paper about the influence of the Internet on social networking. Do you closely follow the media coverage of a particular website, such as Twitter? Would you like to learn more about a certain industry, such as online dating? Which social networking sites do you and your friends use? List as many ideas related to this topic as you can.

Narrowing Your Topic

Once you have a list of potential topics, you will need to choose one as the focus of your essay. You will also need to narrow your topic. Most writers find that the topics they listed during brainstorming or idea mapping are broad—too broad for the scope of the assignment. Working with an overly broad topic, such as sexual education programs or popularized diets, can be frustrating and overwhelming. Each topic has so many facets that it would be impossible to cover them all in a college research paper. However, more specific choices, such as the pros and cons of sexual education in kids’ television programs or the physical effects of the South Beach diet, are specific enough to write about without being too narrow to sustain an entire research paper.

A good research paper provides focused, in-depth information and analysis. If your topic is too broad, you will find it difficult to do more than skim the surface when you research it and write about it. Narrowing your focus is essential to making your topic manageable. To narrow your focus, explore your topic in writing, conduct preliminary research, and discuss both the topic and the research with others.

Exploring Your Topic in Writing

“How am I supposed to narrow my topic when I haven’t even begun researching yet?” In fact, you may already know more than you realize. Review your list and identify your top two or three topics. Set aside some time to explore each one through freewriting. (For more information about freewriting, see Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?”.) Simply taking the time to focus on your topic may yield fresh angles.

Jorge knew that he was especially interested in the topic of diet fads, but he also knew that it was much too broad for his assignment. He used freewriting to explore his thoughts so he could narrow his topic. Read Jorge’s ideas.

Our instructors are always saying that accurate, up-to-date information is crucial in encouraging people to make better choices about their health. I don’t think the media does a very good job of providing that, though. Every time I go on the Internet, I see tons of ads for the latest “miracle food.” One week it’s acai berries, the next week it’s green tea, and then six months later I see a news story saying all the fabulous claims about acai berries and green tea are overblown! Advice about weight loss is even worse. Think about all the diet books that are out there! Some say that a low-fat diet is best; some say you should cut down on carbs; and some make bizarre recommendations like eating half a grapefruit with every meal. I don’t know how anyone is supposed to make an informed decision about what to eat when there’s so much confusing, contradictory information. I bet even doctors, nurses, and dieticians have trouble figuring out what information is reliable and what is just the latest hype.

Conducting Preliminary Research

Another way writers may focus a topic is to conduct preliminary research. Like freewriting, exploratory reading can help you identify interesting angles. Surfing the web and browsing through newspaper and magazine articles are good ways to start. Find out what people are saying about your topic on blogs and online discussion groups. Discussing your topic with others can also inspire you. Talk about your ideas with your classmates, your friends, or your instructor.

Jorge’s freewriting exercise helped him realize that the assigned topic of health and the media intersected with a few of his interests—diet, nutrition, and obesity. Preliminary online research and discussions with his classmates strengthened his impression that many people are confused or misled by media coverage of these subjects.

Jorge decided to focus his paper on a topic that had garnered a great deal of media attention—low-carbohydrate diets. He wanted to find out whether low-carbohydrate diets were as effective as their proponents claimed.

Writing at Work

At work, you may need to research a topic quickly to find general information. This information can be useful in understanding trends in a given industry or generating competition. For example, a company may research a competitor’s prices and use the information when pricing their own product. You may find it useful to skim a variety of reliable sources and take notes on your findings.

The reliability of online sources varies greatly. In this exploratory phase of your research, you do not need to evaluate sources as closely as you will later. However, use common sense as you refine your paper topic. If you read a fascinating blog comment that gives you a new idea for your paper, be sure to check out other, more reliable sources as well to make sure the idea is worth pursuing.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)

Review the list of topics you created in Note 11.18 “Exercise 1” and identify two or three topics you would like to explore further. For each of these topics, spend five to ten minutes writing about the topic without stopping. Then review your writing to identify possible areas of focus.

Set aside time to conduct preliminary research about your potential topics. Then choose a topic to pursue for your research paper.

Collaboration

Please share your topic list with a classmate. Select one or two topics on his or her list that you would like to learn more about and return it to him or her. Discuss why you found the topics interesting, and learn which of your topics your classmate selected and why.

A Plan for Research

Your freewriting and preliminary research have helped you choose a focused, manageable topic for your research paper. To work with your topic successfully, you will need to determine what exactly you want to learn about it—and later, what you want to say about it. Before you begin conducting in-depth research, you will further define your focus by developing a research question, a working thesis, and a research proposal.

Formulating a Research Question

In forming a research question, you are setting a goal for your research. Your main research question should be substantial enough to form the guiding principle of your paper—but focused enough to guide your research. A strong research question requires you not only to find information but also to put together different pieces of information, interpret and analyze them, and figure out what you think. As you consider potential research questions, ask yourself whether they would be too hard or too easy to answer.

To determine your research question, review the freewriting you completed earlier. Skim through books, articles, and websites and list the questions you have. (You may wish to use the 5WH strategy to help you formulate questions. See Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” for more information about 5WH questions.) Include simple, factual questions and more complex questions that would require analysis and interpretation. Determine your main question—the primary focus of your paper—and several subquestions that you will need to research to answer your main question.

Here are the research questions Jorge will use to focus his research. Notice that his main research question has no obvious, straightforward answer. Jorge will need to research his subquestions, which address narrower topics, to answer his main question.

Topic : Low-carbohydrate diets

Main question : Are low-carbohydrate diets as effective as they have been portrayed to be by media sources?

Subquestions :

• Who can benefit from following a low-carbohydrate diet?

What are the supposed advantages of following a low-carbohydrate diet?

• When did low-carb diets become a “hot” topic in the media?
• Where do average consumers get information about diet and nutrition?
• Why has the low-carb approach received so much media attention?
• How do low-carb diets work?

Exercise \(\PageIndex{3}\)

Using the topic you selected in Exercise 2, write your main research question and at least four to five subquestions. Check that your main research question is appropriately complex for your assignment.

Constructing a Working ThesIs

A working thesis concisely states a writer’s initial answer to the main research question. It does not merely state a fact or present a subjective opinion. Instead, it expresses a debatable idea or claim that you hope to prove through additional research. Your working thesis is called a working thesis for a reason—it is subject to change. As you learn more about your topic, you may change your thinking in light of your research findings. Let your working thesis serve as a guide to your research, but do not be afraid to modify it based on what you learn.

Jorge began his research with a strong point of view based on his preliminary writing and research. Read his working thesis statement, which presents the point he will argue. Notice how it states Jorge’s tentative answer to his research question.

Main research question : Are low-carb diets as effective as they have sometimes been portrayed to be by the mass media?

Working thesis statement : Low-carb diets do not live up to the media hype surrounding them.

One way to determine your working thesis is to consider how you would complete sentences such as I believe or My opinion is . However, keep in mind that academic writing generally does not use first-person pronouns. These statements are useful starting points, but formal research papers use an objective voice.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{4}\)

Write a working thesis statement that presents your preliminary answer to the research question you wrote in Exercise 3. Check that your working thesis statement presents an idea or claim that could be supported or refuted by evidence from research.

Creating a Research Proposal

A research proposal is a brief document—no more than one typed page—that summarizes the preliminary work you have completed. Your purpose in writing it is to formalize your plan for research and present it to your instructor for feedback. In your research proposal, you will present your main research question, related subquestions, and working thesis. You will also briefly discuss the value of researching this topic and indicate how you plan to gather information.

When Jorge began drafting his research proposal, he realized that he had already created most of the pieces he needed. However, he knew he also had to explain how his research would be relevant to other future health care professionals. In addition, he wanted to form a general plan for doing the research and identifying potentially useful sources. Read Jorge’s research proposal.

Jorge Ramirez

March 28, 2011

Health Care 101

Professor Habib

Research Proposal

In recent years, topics related to diet, nutrition, and weight loss have been covered extensively in the popular media. Different experts recommend various, often conflicting strategies for maintaining a healthy weight. One highly recommended approach, which forms the basis of many popular diet plans, is to limit consumption of carbohydrates. Yet experts disagree on the effectiveness and health benefits of this approach. What information should consumers consider when evaluating diet plans?

In my research, I will explore the claims made by proponents of the “low-carbohydrate lifestyle.” My primary research question is: Are low-carbohydrate diets as effective for maintaining a healthy weight as they are portrayed to be? My secondary research questions are:

• What are the supposed advantages to following a low-carb diet?

My working thesis is that low-carbohydrate diets do not live up to the media hype surrounding them. For this assignment, I will review general-interest and scholarly articles that discuss the relationship between low-carbohydrate diets, weight loss, and long-term health outcomes.

Before you begin a new project at work, you may have to develop a project summary document that states the purpose of the project, explains why it would be a wise use of company resources, and briefly outlines the steps involved in completing the project. This type of document is similar to a research proposal. Both documents define and limit a project, explain its value, discuss how to proceed, and identify what resources you will use.

Writing Your Own Research Proposal

Now you may write your own research proposal, if you have not done so already. Follow the guidelines provided in this lesson.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Developing a research proposal involves the following preliminary steps: identifying potential ideas, choosing ideas to explore further, choosing and narrowing a topic, formulating a research question, and developing a working thesis.
• A good topic for a research paper interests the writer and fulfills the requirements of the assignment.
• Defining and narrowing a topic helps writers conduct focused, in-depth research.
• Writers conduct preliminary research to identify possible topics and research questions and to develop a working thesis.
• A good research question interests readers, is neither too broad nor too narrow, and has no obvious answer.
• A good working thesis expresses a debatable idea or claim that can be supported with evidence from research.
• Writers create a research proposal to present their topic, main research question, subquestions, and working thesis to an instructor for approval or feedback.

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Proposal writting guideline

The following are some guidelines to adhere to:

You and your Study Leader should have come up with a concise well-focused title that is context specific and demarcated in a meaningful way

Introduction

In your introduction, you are attempting to inform the reader about the rationale behind the work, justifying why your work is an essential component of research in the field. You should define your problem in the introduction. By the end of the introduction, the reader should know exactly what you are trying to achieve The first sentence should be a broad generalization of your specific topic that you are writing about. You should introduce the title with a well-researched topical sentence that relates to the title and sets the context for your paper in the first sentence of the introduction The next few sentences of your introduction should become increasingly more focused on your topic, thereby narrowing the scope of your subject with each sentence Present your ideas in the introduction in a theoretical/academic context showing evidence of adequate research on your title The introduction should therefore be a mini literature review on the overview of your title It is necessary to use several introductory paragraphs to sufficiently introduce the contents of your paper in the introduction Your research thesis should be the last sentence of your introduction. This is a statement that summarize your entire paper in just one sentence

Formulation of Research Problem (half a paragraph not more than a page)

After providing a clear introduction your problem, stating your problem stating your problem should be simple. Your problem statement as the word goes should be one sentence accompanied by at most two paragraphs that elaborate on the problem. The statement may be in a declarative or in a question form A persuasive statement of problem should be written in three parts:

Part A (The ideal): Describes a desired goal or ideal situation; explains how things should be (provide evidence in literature)

Part B (The reality): Describes the present condition that prevents the goal, state, or value in Part A from being achieved or realized at this time; explains how the current situation in your study falls short of the goal or ideal. Outline the problem – what is the key issue? Explain why you think this is worth investigating

Part C (The consequences): State your problem in a sentence and identifies the way you propose to improve the current situation and move it closer to the goal

Aim and objectives

Aims are statement of intent written in broad terms. Aims set out what you hope to achieve at the end of the project. In other words, the aim is your title in reverse

Objectives describe how you are going to achieve those aims. They should be SMART It is advisable to limit these objectives to three and not more than five at this level Research questions

Your research questions set the goal for your research. It is advisable to limit the research questions to three and not more than five at this level. Research questions are in question form as the word indicates. The number of objectives stated must relate to the number of research questions The questions should focus of the title and topic The questions have the potential to contribute to the gap in the study

Importance of the study

Provide the gap of knowledge about the title and how your study will help fill the gap Brief definitions of concepts

Ensure that all concepts used are briefly defined

Delimitation

Ensure that the boundaries of the research should be clearly stated

Research methodology

            Approach Differentiate and choose one either qualitative quantitative or mind your re advised to choose one and fully explain what the approach is and why you chose this approach. The choice of approach will be influenced by the aim of your study

            Research design

Indicate design chosen and explain why providing references it may be survey case study, experimental etc.

            Data collection tools

Indicate data collection tool chosen and explain why providing references Note that the type of approach and design informs the choice of tools.

            Population and sampling

This should be meaningfully described The total number of population should be stated and sampling procedures meaningfully describe. Note that the type of approach and design informs the choice of population and sampling.

            Data analysis method

The method of data analysis chosen and the reason for the choice should be explained. Note that the type of data analysis chosen is informed by the choice of research approach

Validity, reliability, trustworthiness and ethical considerations

The type of approach informs validity, reliability, and trustworthiness. For example, validity and reliability are only used in quantitative studies and issues of trustworthiness are used in qualitative studies

Literature review

Literature should relevant, important, and balanced. It should be related to your topic and your research questions

It should include a discussion of all your research questions Use a descriptive writing approach Describe the existing and established theory and research about your topic in your review providing a context for your work. Show where you are filling a perceived gap in the existing theory or knowledge Accurately references all sources mentioned in the literature and gives a full citation in the Reference List. References

Provide at least 20 sources related to the research topic and at least 8 different sources on methodology

All Annexure A items should be included at the end of assignment 02

Technical aspects

Format work accordingly, ensure that the following are in place:

Table of contents Page numbers Readability and scientific writing style Logical structure Division into sections with thoughtful supporting sentences that develop the main idea

Careful editing/proofing

The reference below is useful

Walliman, N 2014 Your undergraduate dissertation: the essential guide for success. 2nd ed. Los Angeles: SAGE

Prof MC Fombad,UNISA

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Writing in the Humanities and Arts

Workshop Videos on Writing in the Humanities and Arts

These recorded versions of GWC workshops cover journal article writing and publishing, seminar papers, and conference presentations in the humanities.

Blanpain, Kristin. Academic Writing in the Humanities and Social Sciences: A Resource for Researchers. 2006. This workbook offers explanations, examples, and exercises designed to help scholars improve the grammar and flow of their writing. It includes discussions of academic style and academic genres (literature reviews, abstracts, research articles, etc.).

Hayot, Eric. The Elements of Academic Style: Writing for the Humanities . 2014. This book advises writers on granular concerns, such as sentence structure and grammar, as well as big-picture issues, such as adhering to genre patterns for successful research and publishing and developing productive and rewarding writing habits.

Dissertations and Theses

AHA Graduate and Early Career Committee. From Concept to Completion: A Dissertation-Writing Guide for History Students. 2008. Twelve historians offer advice on the dissertation-writing process in the field of history. Includes chapters on choosing a topic, obtaining funding, managing the dissertation committee, organizing archival materials, using sources, and overcoming writer’s block.

Bolker, Joan. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day: A Guide to Starting, Revising, and Finishing Your Doctoral Thesis. 1998. This is one of several “write your dissertation” guides on the market, and it’s one of relatively few that gears itself toward writers of all disciplines. Bolker here is part career counselor, part writing coach, and part therapist. She seems particularly interested in the ways that graduate students block themselves from completing the dissertation through fear, ambivalence, procrastination, etc. Recommended as a general reference on the dissertation process, although some issues might require more specialized help for individual writers.

Clark, Irene L. Writing the Successful Thesis and Dissertation: Entering the Conversation. 2006. This title is regarded by many in composition studies as the best book on dissertation writing. Some of the writing strategies may be oriented more towards the humanities and social sciences, but the book offers excellent advice on writing process issues that is helpful to graduate students in all fields.

Lovitts, Barbara E. and Ellen Wert. Developing Quality Dissertations in the Humanities: A Graduate Student’s Guide to Achieving Excellence. 2008. Stylus Publishing. A concise booklet designed to define and explain expectations for dissertations in the humanities.

Zerubavel, Eviatar. The Clockwork Muse: A Practical Guide to Writing Theses, Dissertations, and Books. 1999. Working from the premise that "It is methodicalness and routinization. . . that help us produce theses, dissertations, and books," (3), this short book presents a detailed process for coming up with a realistic writing schedule and deadlines. Zerubavel explains management strategies for long writing projects: scheduling regular writing time, making outlines, setting realistic expectations, adhering to deadlines, etc.

This GWC-produced video workshop describes the process of preparing, submitting, and revising a humanities article for publication in a scholarly journal: Introduction to Publishing Journal Articles in the Humanities

Belcher, Wendy Laura. Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks . 2009. This workbook takes the approach to scheduling and work style that productivity scholars recommend and tailors its advice to the specificity of the journal article for humanities and social scientists. It is helpful on several fronts: first, in breaking down the process of writing the article into manageable parts and second, in explaining several other genres that graduate students need to be aware of, particularly the abstract.

UCLA Editor in Residence Program : UCLA Humanities Division has hosted a number of talks by editors of academic presses who have presented on how to prepare book proposals and book publications. See especially the video archive of these presentations , which for the most part require a UCLA login.

The Association of University Presses provides a resource page for prospective faculty authors , including a page that provides resources for finding a publisher . The web page on finding a publisher links to an annual subject area grid that indicates which publishers have strong interests in which fields and sub-fields. There are additional resources on university presses and advice about getting published.

Grant and Fellowship Proposals

Gillis, Christina M. Writing Proposals for ACLS Fellowship Competitions . A guide for fellowship applicants in all fields of the humanities, with advice on tailoring the proposal for its audience, creating an effective structure, explaining the project's significance, and positioning research in relation to previous work.

The National Endowment for Humanities offers fellowships and grants that are not usually open to graduate students. However, NEH resources are generally informative for learning how to write about proposed research in the humanities. If you would like to learn more about how to write successful proposals, this web page offers a webinar recording and sample narratives from awardees. This article offers additional advice.

Library Research Guides by Subject

These online guides offer discipline-specific links and tips for library research at UCLA. They include links to databases, catalogues, dictionaries, encyclopedias, electronic texts, and online archives.

To report a broken link, please email us at [email protected] .

School of Social Sciences

How to write a research proposal

You will need to submit a research proposal with your PhD application. This is crucial in the assessment of your application and it warrants plenty of time and energy.

Your proposal should outline your project and be around 1,500 words.

Your research proposal should include a working title for your project.

Overview of the research

In this section, you should provide a short overview of your research. You should also state how your research fits into the research priorities of your particular subject area.

Here you can refer to the research areas and priorities of a particular research grouping or supervisor.

You must also state precisely why you have chosen to apply to the discipline area and how your research links into our overall profile.

Positioning of the research

This should reference the most important texts related to the research, demonstrate your understanding of the research issues, and identify existing gaps (both theoretical and practical) that the research is intended to address.

Research design and methodology

This section should identify the information that is necessary to carry out the analysis and the possible research techniques that could deliver the information.

Ethical considerations

You should identify and address any potential ethical considerations in relation to your proposed research. Please discuss your research with your proposed supervisor to see how best to progress your ideas in line with University of Manchester ethics guidance, and ensure that your proposed supervisor is happy for you to proceed with your application.

Your research proposal will be used to assess the quality and originality of your ideas, whether you are able to think critically and whether you have a grasp of the relevant literature. It also gives us important information about the perspectives you intend to take on your research area, and how you fit into the department's research profile overall. This is helpful when assigning a supervisor.

If you are applying to study an Economics postgraduate research programme, our advice and requirements are slightly different:

• How to write an economics proposal

Supervisors

We encourage you to discuss your proposal informally with a potential supervisor before making a formal application to ensure it is of mutual interest.

Please note that we cannot guarantee that we will be able to allocate you to the supervisor you initially contact and that we may allocate you to another expert in the area.

• Find a supervisor

Flexibility

You will not be forced to follow the proposal exactly once you have started to study. It is normal for students to refine their original proposal, in light of detailed literature review, further consideration of research approaches and comments received from your supervisors (and other academic staff).

Pitfalls to avoid

We sometimes have to reject students who meet the academic requirements but have not produced a satisfactory research proposal, therefore:

• Make sure that your research idea, question or problem is very clearly stated and well-grounded in academic research.
• Make sure that your proposal is well focused and conforms exactly to the submission requirements described here.
• Poorly specified, jargon-filled or rambling proposals will not convince us that you have a clear idea of what you want to do.

The University uses electronic systems to detect plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice and for assessment. All Humanities PhD programmes require the submission of a research proposal as part of the application process. The Doctoral Academy upholds the principle that where a candidate approaches the University with a project of study, this should be original. While it is understandable that research may arise out of previous studies, it is vital that your research proposal is not the subject of plagiarism.

Example proposals

• Philosophy - Example 1
• Philosophy - Example 2
• Politics - Example 1
• Politics - Example 2
• Social Anthropology - Example 1
• Social Anthropology - Example 2
• Social Statistics - Example 1
• Social Statistics - Example 2
• Sociology - Example 1
• Sociology - Example 2

Further help

The following books may help you to prepare your research proposal (as well as in doing your research degree).

• Bell, J. (1999):  Doing Your Research Project: A Guide for First-time Researchers in Education & Social Science , (Oxford University Press, Oxford).
• Baxter, L, Hughes, C. and Tight, M. (2001):  How to Research , (Open University Press, Milton Keynes).
• Cryer, P. (2000):  The Research Student's Guide to Success , (Open University, Milton Keynes).
• Delamont, S., Atkinson, P. and Parry, O. (1997):  Supervising the PhD , (Open University Press, Milton Keynes).
• Philips, E. and Pugh, D. (2005):  How to get a PhD: A Handbook for Students and their Supervisors , (Open University Press, Milton Keynes).

If you need help and advice about your application, contact the Postgraduate Admissions Team.

Admissions contacts

University guidelines

You may also find it useful to read the advice and guidance on the University website about writing a proposal for your research degree application.

Visit the University website

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Research proposals

How to write an effective proposal.

What's it for?

A research proposal explains the nature and extent of your planned or future research. It is written for an academic reader e.g. for your supervisor or an academic with a similar disciplinary background. By thinking through your entire research project from beginning to end, it may also highlight core issues with the feasibility of the project.

W hat's in it ?

There are some disciplinary differences regarding exactly what is included in the proposal. For example, disciplines such as Psychology may include a prominent hypothesis statement, others in the Social Sciences including Education, may expect a set of research questions that the study will answer. However, all research proposals should cover the four basic elements below.

• The research topic addresses a significant problem and, therefore, advances the state of knowledge in that field.
• Identification of an appropriate methodology and underlying theory to address the problem, including data collection methods and equipment (if required).
• Details of how the collected data will be analysed in such a way that useful conclusions can be drawn.
• An organised plan for any proposed work, including a timeframe.

Possible macro-structures

The structure of your research proposal will vary depending on the requirements of your discipline. Nevertheless, certain structural elements will be expected by your reader and these may be presented in the following order. Check with the Research Coordinator in your area for specific requirements.

Identifies the title of the project, your full name, the institution, department, and supervisor details. The title should be brief and descriptive and may use a colon (:) to separate the topic from the focus (i.e. Stormwater Harvesting: Managing the hazards of surface water pollution by run-off ).

Lists the sections of the Research Proposal (headings and indented sub-headings) and corresponding page numbers.

Outlines the essence of the research project. It describes the purpose and motivation for the study, the problem, the data collection methodology and analysis, significant results and implications of the research.

Provides background information for the research (i.e. the problem being addressed) and is typically structured from general information to narrow or focused ideas with your research question/s or hypotheses at the narrow end.

The Introduction should be about 10% of your proposal.

Imagine you are writing for a general reader rather than an expert audience. The Introduction includes a brief review of relevant literature or knowledge in the field, so that you are able to present a gap in existing knowledge and, therefore, the significance and originality of your research.

Finally, articulate the scope of your research (or what you will not be doing) to limit your task. Your research question/s should encapsulate the primary question/s you aim to solve.

Synthesises the literature in your field. Some disciplines will expect to see this in the Introduction but others will want it placed in this ‘stand-alone’ section (especially in more Humanities-based fields). Again, it could be structured from broad to narrow, so literature on the more general aspects of your topic could come first, narrowing down to published work on your particular area of interest. You might end this section by including a short summary of the main themes you have identified from the literature.

Includes a description and rationale for the methods of data collection and analysis, and the materials you will use in your research. Use subheadings if possible ( i.e. Data Collection, Data Analysis, Ethical Considerations etc.) and write with a future aspect, ( i.e. The research will initially examine water treatment processes in... )

Details any results that you may already have resulting from previous Honours or Masters’ research work, or perhaps from a pilot study. It is important to relate these results to the critical framework of your intended new research project.

Lists the stages of the research project in timeline, spreadsheet or tabular format, and the deadlines for completion of these stages or tasks. You should include any anticipated challenges to completion.

Outlines the proposed chapters of the thesis and the content of each chapter in several lines or a paragraph, including a Table of Contents.

Relates the expected outcomes of your research to the aims expressed in the Introduction so that the need for the study and the contribution to knowledge is clear.

Provides all the resources cited in your resource proposal using a referencing format favoured by your faculty or discipline. Do not list resources that are not directly referred to in your Proposal.

Writing the Research Proposal

How much should i write.

A research proposal is usually quite a bit longer than other written academic genres. In the Humanities, it could be around 10,000 words or even longer (excluding the Reference List); whereas those from more Science-oriented disciplines may be shorter.

What should I begin with?

Similar to other academic genres, writing the research proposal is a process. If you are proposing a ‘recycled’ topic that builds on previous assignments already written on the same topic, you might spend some time re-reading these. However, if you are starting a ‘fresh’ project you might consider two key questions:

• What am I really interested in finding out about my research topic?
• How am I going to do this in practice? Brainstorm responses to these questions under a strict time limit – say 30 minutes.

Then leave this ‘free-writing’ for at least 24 hours before reviewing it for a possible more polished second draft.

How should I approach the literature?

Reviewing the academic literature on your topic is one of the most critical stages of your research proposal. This section goes beyond a simple summary of everything written on a subject. Instead, it is a critical synthesis of materials that illuminates selected academic literature on your topic. Your coverage of the literature should reflect the argument or perspective that you have set out in your research question/s.

Try the following techniques for dealing with the literature:

• Develop a theme or series of themes from your broad reading, referencing the work of relevant authors who support your position or who provide counter-arguments against your point/s.
• Limit excessive quoting. Too many direct quotations will dilute your authority over the topic.
• Avoid beginning paragraphs with “Jones argues …”; “Smith states …” This approach risks losing a sense of your writer’s authority to the work of others. Instead, provide an overview of the paragraph in a topic sentence written in your own writer’s voice.

Adapted from Rudestam and Newton (2015) as cited in Paltridge and Starfield (2020). Thesis and dissertation writing in a second language: A handbook for students and their advisers. Routledge.

Tips for writing

• Avoid language that is overly hesitant or tentative (i.e. ‘It seems that…’, ‘It is hoped that …’). Instead, use confident language when you feel able to (i.e. ‘It is clear that…’, ‘I assert that …’).
• Break up large blocks of text into smaller sections using sub-headings and bullet-points.
• Anticipate possible problems with, or limitations of, your research. Address these issues directly for your own benefit as well as to improve the entire proposal.
• Make your proposal is easy for readers to skim read. Never assume your readers will read your work in a ‘logical’ order. Use sub-headings and restate key ideas to guide the reader through your writing.
• Find copies of other Research Proposals in your field and study the way they:
• devise titles.
• structure their proposal.
• use discipline-specific language.
• Take a note of anything else you notice. You might ask your potential supervisor/s for models of previously submitted proposals or search for relevant examples online (look for examples from reputable .edu or .org. web addresses)

Remember, your research proposal should demonstrate:

• the feasibility and logical foundations of your project
• a well-focussed research question, set of research objectives, or hypothesis
• the width and depth of the academic literature on your topic
• understanding of current issues or debates on your topic
• justification of your project through the literature
• a match between the methodology and / or methods and your research question/s

Adapted from Cadman (2002) as cited in Paltridge, B. and Starfield, S. (2020). Thesis and dissertation writing in a second language: A handbook for students and their advisers. Routledge.

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Advanced Research Methods

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What Is a Research Proposal?

Reference books.

• Writing the Research Paper
• Presenting the Research Paper

When applying for a research grant or scholarship, or, just before you start a major research project, you may be asked to write a preliminary document that includes basic information about your future research. This is the information that is usually needed in your proposal:

• The topic and goal of the research project.
• The kind of result expected from the research.
• The theory or framework in which the research will be done and presented.
• What kind of methods will be used (statistical, empirical, etc.).
• Short reference on the preliminary scholarship and why your research project is needed; how will it continue/justify/disprove the previous scholarship.
• How much will the research project cost; how will it be budgeted (what for the money will be spent).
• Why is it you who can do this research and not somebody else.

Most agencies that offer scholarships or grants provide information about the required format of the proposal. It may include filling out templates, types of information they need, suggested/maximum length of the proposal, etc.

Research proposal formats vary depending on the size of the planned research, the number of participants, the discipline, the characteristics of the research, etc. The following outline assumes an individual researcher. This is just a SAMPLE; several other ways are equally good and can be successful. If possible, discuss your research proposal with an expert in writing, a professor, your colleague, another student who already wrote successful proposals, etc.

Author, author's affiliation

Introduction:

• Explain the topic and why you chose it. If possible explain your goal/outcome of the research . How much time you need to complete the research?

Previous scholarship:

• Give a brief summary of previous scholarship and explain why your topic and goals are important.
• Relate your planned research to previous scholarship. What will your research add to our knowledge of the topic.

Specific issues to be investigated:

• Break down the main topic into smaller research questions. List them one by one and explain why these questions need to be investigated. Relate them to previous scholarship.
• Include your hypothesis into the descriptions of the detailed research issues if you have one. Explain why it is important to justify your hypothesis.

Methodology:

• This part depends of the methods conducted in the research process. List the methods; explain how the results will be presented; how they will be assessed.
• Explain what kind of results will justify or  disprove your hypothesis. 
• Explain how much money you need.
• Explain the details of the budget (how much you want to spend for what).

Conclusion:

• Describe why your research is important.

References:

• List the sources you have used for writing the research proposal, including a few main citations of the preliminary scholarship.

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• Data Schools
• How to write your research proposal

An MPhil research proposal should be 500 words long. It needs to give those assessing your application an impression of the strength and originality of your proposed research, and its potential to make a contribution to knowledge. It should be written in clear, jargon-free, and unexceptionable prose. Grammatical mistakes and typographical errors give a very bad impression. You should make sure you cover the following areas (without explicitly dividing the proposal into headings).

The research topic

• Briefly outline the area and topic of your proposed 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 Digital Humanities.  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

• You do not necessarily need to define a methodology but if there is something striking about your proposed methodology, and this is central to your proposal you should point to this.

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 if they are relevant.

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, or which critical, theoretical or methodological approaches you decide to pursue.

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Writing Research Proposals for the Social Sciences and Humanities in a Higher Education Context

2019, Cambridge Scholars Publishing

A research proposal is a plan that a candidate submits to gain approval for post-graduate research. Although it is a typical requirement for any research in higher education, it has failed to receive the attention it is due from the academic community as a procedure of systematic teaching and learning. This book provides a support framework with step-by-step guidance about what constitutes a good research proposal and what can be done to maximize our chances of writing a successful application. It also presents advice and practical activities to enhance skill development. The book doesn’t offer any short and safe route to getting the task done. Instead, it proposes a rather balanced perspective, where by success is within reach if we are willing to face our flaws and grasp how to use the available information productively and persuasively. This endeavour is supported with a good number of authentic, annotated proposals at various stages of their development.

Related Papers

Anas Iftikhar

Admission into a higher degree research program or confirmation of candidature into such a program of most universities often requires the applicant to submit a research proposal. This is a very important document which not only articulates the research topic and research question, but also explains the research design which outlines how the proposed research will be carried out. The significance of the research proposal is highlighted by the fact that failure to write a good research proposal may mean failure to be admitted into a higher degree research program, or failure to be confirmed as a continuing doctoral candidate. In spite of such significance, however, my experience when supervising many higher degree research students is that many of them struggle to write a good research proposal. One of the contributing factors to this is the apparent void that exists in research methods textbooks on exactly what a research proposal is and how it should be written. This paper aims to help fill that void by articulating a detailed structure of a research proposal that could be used as part of the application to gain admission into a higher degree research program of any good university or for confirmation of candidature in such a research study program. The paper draws on the expertise accumulated on this topic as a result of many decades of writing research proposals for higher degree research projects, conducting many higher degree research studies successfully in several universities in Australia and other countries, teaching research methods to higher degree research students and supervising many successful masters and doctoral theses. The paper concludes, that while there is no 'one-size-fits-all' research proposal, a careful design of a higher degree research proposal along the structure discussed in this paper should improve one's chances of success greatly.

FOREX Publication

FOREX Publication , Mohd Akhter Ali , M Kamraju

Writing an effective research proposal is crucial for individuals pursuing higher degree research in higher education. This paper presents best practices for crafting such proposals, providing guidance to aspiring researchers. The paper begins with an overview of the higher degree research landscape and highlights the significance of research proposals within this context. It then delves into the key elements of an effective research proposal, emphasizing the importance of a clear research question, comprehensive literature review, appropriate research methodology, and expected outcomes. The paper also offers practical advice on writing techniques, organization, and communication to enhance the proposal's effectiveness. Furthermore, it addresses common challenges and pitfalls encountered during the proposal writing process, providing strategies to overcome them. Institutional guidelines and requirements are discussed, along with ethical considerations and research governance obligations. Case studies and examples are included to illustrate successful research proposals, analyzing their strengths and characteristics. In conclusion, this paper underscores the importance of an effective research proposal for higher degree research and provides valuable insights and recommendations for future researchers.

abasynuniv.edu.pk

Flora Maleki

Javed Iqbal

Journal Academica, Volume 1, July 2010, p. 1-5. [ISSN 2026 559X]

What is the purpose of a Research proposal, its components and how should it be presented? In the following we briefly consider all these issues which have been a challenge to students who are to submit no research proposal before embarking on a Research Project for a partial fulfillment of conditions for the award of a degree by their respective institutions.

Sri Lanka Journal of Management Studies

N.J. Dewasiri

This eminent professor of Political Science has addressed a significant issue encountered by many postgraduate students and researchers in undertaking serious research in the disciplines of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Management in Sri Lanka. It is available in both English and Sinhala languages. He has addressed a wide spectrum of concerns related to writing a research proposal that covers research philosophies, methodology as well as methods in academic research. Guided by the scientific method, it presents ten comprehensive chapters that define the key elements of a marketable research proposal as well as sheds light on the key skills in writing such as winning proposals. It also covers the bibliography and glossary of key terms at the end. As the book is handy, it can be used as a practical handbook at all levels of academic research.

Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research

morrin phiri

Education India: A Quarterly Refereed Journal of Dialogues on Education

Shubham kumar Sanu , Vishwa Raj Sharma , Dr Mukesh Kumar , Smriti Shreya

Writing a research proposal for an early career researcher is one of the toughest part of research work. A research proposal is a blueprint to conduct research work and a well-structured proposal provides smooth functioning for the proposed research. Generally, young researchers face various types of problem in structuring a good research proposal in absence of proper guidelines, steps and strategies. This paper aims to provide a general guideline to the students and researchers to develop a wellstructured research proposal for the purpose of PhD/dissertation/research projects, etc. The concept and significance of a research proposal, how to start research work, the process of producing and appropriate sections for a good research proposal has been discussed in great detail.

S M Mukarram Jahan

A research proposal is a serious statement that addresses a researcher’s intent to conduct a study on a phenomenon and a plan about how to perform the research. Students usually undertake research under the guidance of a supervisor from faculty in tandem with assistance and supervision of other faculty members. Thus, the proposal should be a clear statement of intent that aims at elucidating the plan of research to make it feasible and acceptable for all parties concerned. The most essential characteristic of a research proposal is that it should be sufficient to present the researcher’s idea or question and expected outcomes with clarity and definition (the what). It should also make a case for the reason the researcher’s focus of study is significant and the value that it will bring to the discipline under study (the why).

moawia A alshiek

After more than a decade of teaching the course of research skills, I believe that the need for reference works on proposal writing for students and researchers is an essential handout. Not only to acquire the ability to write successful researched proposals but also to share my experience with them. The purpose of this review is to screen research skills literature to identify how and why proposals are written. Ultimately, to provide a document that guides students and researchers to write an effective proposal for their research projects. I found following accredited proposal guidelines will help to produce an effective successful document. However, there is no one single format but general template. Every institution, journal or funding agency has its own format. But all have this sequence: introduction, objectives, methodology, workplan, budget, references and annexes. 1) Background: There is no single formula for a strong effective proposal. There are a number of precepts that are consistently found in successful proposals. The sooner one learns them, the better. (1) When a social scientist desires to conduct an experiment, he first develops a proposal. The proposal introduces the problem, the significance of a study as well as the experimenter's research question and hypothesis. It also gives a brief explanation of the theory guiding the study, a review of relevant literature pertaining to the theory, and the procedure for the experiment. (2) The goal of a research proposal is to present and justify the need to study a research problem. As well as, to show design elements and procedures for conducting the research. It goes without saying the proposal must provide persuasive evidence that a need exists for the proposed study. (3)

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Research proposal - template

Template for research proposals in connection with applications for a position as postdoc, PhD candidate or researcher

All research proposals must be based on this template. Research proposals must not exceed 14,000 characters including spaces.

Applications with a research proposal longer than 14,000 characters will not be considered.  

Title of the project

• Main objective and summary of the project (Present the main objective of your project and a brief summary, explaining how you intend to attain this goal. The purpose is to give the reader sufficient information to decide whether the project is of interest.)
• Background to the project (Provide a brief account of the existing knowledge in the field the project is part of and show how the project will contribute to new knowledge. Explain how your project is relevant to the research at the Faculty of Humanities – for individual researchers, research groups or projects.)
• Theoretical framework (Outline the theoretical foundation of the project and the reasons you have chosen this particular foundation.)
• Research question(s) and expected findings (hypothesis) (Describe the question(s) you want to answer through your project, and briefly outline what answer(s) you expect to find on the basis of previous research and theoretical background. Your research questions and hypotheses should focus and delimit the topic.)
• Methods and research ethics (Give an account of the methodological foundation for your project. Discuss any research-ethical problems linked to the project with reference to the Guidelines for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities . Describe the underlying data and source material that will be used and how these will be collected and analysed)
• Proposed dissemination (Outline your proposed outputs: your plans for communicating / publishing your project – articles, monographs, lectures, etc.)
• Progress plan (Outline briefly how you intend to organise your work over the duration of the project, including any planned or anticipated periods of study/as a guest researcher outside the University of Oslo and/or field work. For PhD: We do not expect you to know about individual courses, seminars, etc. that will be included in the training component.)

Total: no more than 14,000 characters (including spaces). It is up to you to decide how they are distributed among the different sections of the research proposal. In addition, your research proposal may also include:

• Literature references (max 3,000 characters) (The reference list must be sorted alphabetically by author.)

To count the number of characters in a text in MS Word, go to Review, and select Word Count. 14,000 characters with spaces is just under five pages of text written in Times, 12 point type, with one and a half line spacing.

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Writing the Digital Humanities Project Proposals

Posted by Ang Samantha | Jul 18, 2018 | Hacks | 0

What does a successful DH research proposal look like? Is there a secret or magic formula to getting a grant?

Lisa Spiro, executive director of Digital Scholarship Services, Rice University, has offered some suggestions on  writing a successful grant proposal :

• Read the guidelines
• Make an argument for funding your proposal
• Talk to the Program Officers
• Show that you have technical knowledge
• Ask to see reviewers’ comments
• Consider serving on a grant review panel

Ang Samantha

A member of the Digital Scholarship team who enjoys both sedentary activities and being in the outdoors.

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Call for Paper 2024

We are pleased to inform you that the proposal acceptance for funding under the fiscal year of 2024 batch 2 will commence from May 1st, 2024, until May 31st, 2024. This funding opportunity comprises various schemes aimed at fostering research and innovation within the academic sphere.

The schemes open for submissions include:

• BINUS Beginner Research (Penelitian Pemula Binus)
• BINUS International Research (Penelitian Internasional Binus)
• PIB – Fundamental
• PIB – Applied
• BINUS Environmental Care (Binus Peduli Lingkungan)
• BINUS Research for Nusantara (Binus Research untuk Nusantara)

For detailed registration procedures, terms and condiions, mechanisms, and expected outcomes for each scheme under the BINUS research initiatives, please visit our official website at https://linktr.ee/cfphibahbinus2024.

Should there be any inquiries or further clarifications needed, please do not hesitate to contact us via email at [email protected].

Last updated : May 01, 2024 00:00

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