How to Write a Research Proposal | Guide &

Template
• A research proposal describes what you will investigate, why it’s
important, and how you will do the research. The format of a
research proposal varies between fields, but most proposals should
contain at least these elements:

➢Cover page
➢Introduction
➢Literature review
➢Research design
➢Reference list
Purpose of a research proposal
• Academics often must 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 you might need to
submit one before you start writing your thesis or dissertation.

• All research proposals are designed to persuade someone—such as a

funding body, educational institution, or supervisor—that your
project is worthwhile.
Research proposal aims to reflect:

Relevance Convince the reader that your project is interesting, original

and important

Context Show that you are familiar with the field, you understand the
current state of research on the topic, and your ideas have a
strong academic basis
Approach Make a case for your methodology, showing that you have
carefully thought about the data, tools and procedures you
will need to conduct the research
Feasibility Confirm that the project is possible within the practical
constraints of the program, institution, or funding
• How long is a research proposal?
The length of a research proposal varies dramatically. A bachelor’s
or master’s thesis proposal can be just a few pages, while proposals for
Ph.D. dissertations and research funding are often very long and
detailed.

Although you write it before you begin the research, the proposal’s
structure usually looks like a shorter version of a thesis or
dissertation (but without the results and discussion sections).
• Title page
Like your project, thesis, or dissertation, the proposal will usually have
a title page that includes:

✓The proposed title of your project

✓Your name
✓Your supervisor’s name
✓The institution and department
✓Check with the department or funding body to see if there are any
specific formatting requirements.
• Abstract and table of contents
If your proposal is very long, you might also have to include an abstract and
a table of contents to help the reader to know exactly what your paper is
about.

• Introduction

❖The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project, so make
sure it is brief and clearly explains what you want to do and why. It should:
❖Introduce the topic
❖Give background and context
❖Outline your problem statement and research question(s)
If your proposal is very long, you might include separate sections with
more detailed information on the background and context, problem
statement, aims and objectives, and importance of the research.

• Some important questions to guide your introduction include:

➢Who has an interest in the topic (e.g. scientists, practitioners, policymakers,

particular members of society)?
➢How much is already known about the problem?
➢What is missing from current knowledge?
➢What new insights will your research contribute?
➢Why is this research worth doing?
• Literature review
It’s important to show that you’re familiar with the most important research on
your topic. A strong literature review convinces the reader that your project has a
solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory. It also shows that you’re not
simply repeating what other people have already done or said.

In this section, aim to demonstrate exactly how your project will contribute to
conversations in the field.

• Compare and contrast: what are the main theories, methods, debates, and
controversies?
• Be critical: what are the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches?
• Show how your research fits in: how will you build on, challenge,
or synthesize the work of others?
• Research design and methods

Following the literature review, it’s a good idea to restate your

main objectives, bringing the focus back to your own project.
The research design or methodology section should describe the
overall approach and practical steps you will take to answer your
research questions.
• Reference list or bibliography
Your research proposal must include proper citations for every source you
have used, and full publication details should always be included in
the reference list. You can use our free APA citation generator to create
citations quickly and easily.

https://youtu.be/JmVZP2309P4

• Research schedule
In some cases, you might have to include a detailed timeline of the project,
explaining exactly what you will do at each stage and how long it will take.
Check the requirements of your program or funding body to see if this is
required.
 Example research schedule
Research phase Objectives Deadline
1. Background research and literature •Meet with supervisor for initial discussion 20th February
review •Conduct a more extensive review of relevant literature

2. Research design planning •Design questionnaires 13th March

3. Data collection and preparation •Recruit participants and send out questionnaires 24th April

4. Data analysis •Statistically analyze survey data 22nd May

5. Writing •Complete a full thesis draft 17th July

•Meet with supervisor to discuss feedback and revisions

6. Revision •Get supervisor approval for final draft 28th August

•Proofread
•Print, bind and submit
• https://youtu.be/166FXhGd9T4
 ❖ Research type •Will you do qualitative or quantitative research?
•Will you collect original data or work
with primary or secondary sources?
•Is your research design
descriptive, correlational, or experimental?

❖ Population and sample •Exactly what or who will you study (e.g. high
school students in New York; Scottish newspaper
archives 1976-80)?
•How will you select subjects or sources
(e.g. random sampling, case studies)?
Methodology in a •When and where will you collect the data?
research proposal ❖ Research methods •What tools and procedures will you use
(e.g. surveys, interviews, observations,
experiments) to collect and analyze data?
•Why are these the best methods to answer your
research questions?
❖ Practicalities •How much time will you need to collect the
data?
•How will you gain access to participants or
sources?
•Do you foresee any potential obstacles, and how
will you address them?
• https://youtu.be/yplWZs3dqNQ
• Budget
If you are applying for research funding, you will probably also have to
include a detailed budget that shows how much each part of the project will
cost.

Make sure to check what type of costs the funding body will agree to cover,
and only include relevant items in your budget. 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?
• Revisions and Proofreading

As in any other piece of academic writing, it’s essential to redraft, edit

and proofread your research proposal before you submit it. If you have
the opportunity, ask a supervisor or colleague for feedback.

For the best chance of approval, you might want to consider using a
professional proofreading service to get rid of language errors, check
your proposal’s structure, and improve your academic style.
How to Write a Problem Statement |
After you have identified a research problem for your project, the next
step is to write a problem statement. An effective problem statement is
concise and concrete. It should:

✓Put the problem in context (what do we already know?)

✓Describe the precise issue that the research will address (what do we
need to know?)
✓Show the relevance of the problem (why do we need to know it?)
✓Set the objectives of the research (what will you do to find out?)
Set your aims and objectives
The research aim is the overall purpose of your research. It is generally written in
the infinitive form:

✓The aim of this study is to determine…

✓This project aims to explore…
✓I aim to investigate…

The research objectives are the concrete steps you will take to achieve the aim:

✓Qualitative methods will be used to identify…

✓I will use surveys to collect…
✓Using statistical analysis, the research will measure…
How to Write a Literature Review |
What is a literature review? A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It
provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods,
and gaps in the existing research.

There are five key steps to writing a literature review:

1.Search for relevant literature

2.Evaluate sources
3.Identify themes, debates, and gaps
4.Outline the structure
5.Write your literature review

A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources—it analyzes, synthesizes, and critically
evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.
Make a list of keywords
Start by creating a list of keywords related to your research question.
Include each of the key concepts or variables you’re interested in and
list any synonyms and related terms.

Keywords example
✓Social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok
✓Ni alloy, ……
✓Sollar cell,….
Search for relevant sources
Use your keywords to begin searching for sources. Some useful databases to
search for journals and articles include:

• Your university’s library catalog

• Google Scholar
• JSTOR
• EBSCO
• Project Muse (humanities and social sciences)
• Medline (life sciences and biomedicine)
• EconLit (economics)
• Inspec (physics, engineering, and computer science)
Conclusion
In the conclusion, you should summarize the key findings you have
taken from your results and emphasize their significance.

https://youtu.be/KkAnKGuX7fs