PROPOSAL WRITING
COMPONENTS OF A
PROPOSAL
INTRODUCTION
You spend hours of your valuable time writing proposals.
You agonize to find the right words, state the facts they
want to hear, keep sections to the perfect length and
calculate the best numbers.
But, wait - It's not supposed to be this hard. Proposals
are meant to attract money - not pull you away from
billable hours or your business!
But, the sad truth is, most people don't even know where
to start when asked for a proposal. They might follow
their associate's advice, putting something together
using their best effort - and then hope for the best.
Hope for the best?
Did you ever stop to realize the importance of that
proposal? How much is it worth to your company -
$25,000 … $200,000 … $1 million or more? Your
proposal is the one and only thing that stands between
winning that high-paying job - and losing it. It'll be
carefully scrutinized alongside competitor's proposals
that are possibly written by professional writers with
years of experience.
Is "hope for the best" the message you want to give? Or
would you, instead, like to have a quarter century's
proposal writing experience on each page, ready to
knock the competition out in five seconds flat?
What is a proposal?
Proposal usually provides an overview of
your project/research that includes:
the research title
the research problems
the research method/procedure and
analyses
Preparing a survey proposal
Identifying a topic
Narrowing a topic
Forming a thesis statement
Identifying a topic
• Generally, the main objective of
implementing a survey research is to
solve a problem which has been
observed or identified
• In technical writing, the problem can be
initiated by a query of what and how
things occur
• Choose topic that reflects your interest
and understanding
Narrowing a topic
The English Language Proficiency
among Malaysian
A poor standard of English language
proficiency among student
Continue….
A poor standard of English language
proficiency among UTHM diploma
students
Factors that contribute to the poor
standard of English language
proficiency among UTHM diploma
students
Forming a thesis statement
Thesis statement is a written
statement of the survey research
main purpose
Thus …
This survey research investigates
the causes of the poor standard of
English language proficiency
among UTHM diploma students.
BACKGROUND OF STUDY
This section provides a capsule description of
the entire project. It should include a brief
statement of the needs or problem being
addressed, the methodology (s) to be
employed in accomplishing the tasks outlined,
project goals or expected outcomes, the time
duration, and the approximate cost.
This section should reflect your scholarship
and show evidence of a thorough research of
the topic, including relevant literature search,
and reference to external benchmarks and
related measures.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
This is the "why" of the project. One
needs to convince the reader that
the problem is real and that the
proposer's rationale and methods
will actually enhance the field,
provide the service, or accomplish
the stated objectives.
OBJECTIVES
Try and differentiate between your goals and
your objectives – and include both.
Goals are the large statements of what you hope
to accomplish but usually aren't very
measurable. They create the setting for what
you are proposing.
Objectives are operational, tell specific things
you will be accomplishing in your project, and
are very measurable.
EXAMPLE
Goal : Our after-school program will help
children read better.
Objective : Our after-school remedial
education program will assist 50
children in improving their
reading scores by one grade level
as demonstrated by standardized
reading tests administered after
participating in the program for
six months.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Significance / Expected Outcomes of the study predicts the
significance of the study and expected outcomes. These
may relate closely to aims. This is only a prediction, and
may be excluded if the rationale for the study has been
well developed earlier in the proposal.
A short description of why you believe the study is
important and should be carried out.
Focus on the benefits of your study not the research
problem.
Place yourself in the position of responding to someone
who says “so what?” Provide a persuasive rationale for
your argument by answering the following questions:
Why is your study important? To whom is it important?
What can happen to society, or theory, or a program if
the study is done or not done?
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Disclose any conceptual and methodological limitations.
Use the following questions to identify the limitations of your study:
What kind of design, sampling, measurement, and analysis would
be used “in the best of all possible worlds”? How far from these
ideals is your study likely to be?
A limitation identifies potential weaknesses of the study. Think about
your analysis, the nature of self-report, your instruments, the
sample. Think about threats to internal validity that may have been
impossible to avoid or minimize - explain.
The literature search will aim to be comprehensive, but restricted
access to primary literature, for example due to the remote location
of material sought, the number in the sample limited due to the
restrictions of time to complete the project and resources to support
it, will exclude consideration of some sources in the actual literature
review. As a piece of undergraduate work the project may not be
executed to the standards of professional, contracted research.
METHODOLOGY
Describe in technical language your research perspective
and your past, present, or possible future points of view.
List three research methodologies you could use, and
describe why each methodology might be appropriate
and feasible. Select the most viable research method.
Methodology is made up of methods.
When you write your proposal, write it as though you'd
expect someone else to carry out the work. If you are so
clear about what your study is going to involve, doing
that you could give instructions to somebody else and
have that person carry out your research (instead of you)
you will have a good proposal. Your ideas should be
clear and straightforward, easily articulated on paper
(and not something in your head!)
Writing up a proposal
• Background of the study
• Problem statements
• Objectives
• Significance of the study
• Limitation of the study
• Procedure / Methodology
Gantt chart
Duration Week 1 Week 2 & 3 Week 4 Week 5
(15 – 19 (22/10 – (29/10 – 2 (5 – 9 Nov.)
Task Oct.) 26/10) Nov. )
1. Preparing
materials
for research
2. Writing up
a proposal
3.Submission
of the 5/11
proposal
4. Designing
a
questionnaire
Continue…..
Duration Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9
Task (12 – 16 (19/11 – (26/11 – (3 – 7
Nov.) 23/11) 30/11) Dec.)
5. Distribution of
questionnaires
6. Collecting the
questionnaires
7. Analysing data
8. Preparing a
progress report
9. Oral
26/11
presentation of
progress report
10. Preparing data for
final report
