How to write a research proposal
This interactive online tutorial will help you learn about the content and structure of research proposals.
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Proposals are a necessary step in a research project: they allow you to refine your objectives and explain how you plan to investigate them. Proposals include both theoretical information relevant to the topic, such as the literature review, and practical details such as timeline and budget.
Research proposals can be assigned as an assignment, lead to a thesis or dissertation or may be necessary for funding and grant applications.
Writing a research proposal
Writing a proposal is a process
It takes time to work through all the sections you need to complete, think about how you're going to do something, justify why you're doing it and work out the details of the process. It is impossible to write a good proposal in a day!
Define and revise your topic
Don't be afraid to revise and narrow your topic.
Most people begin with a big concept in mind. However, when figuring out how to tackle it and the resources it requires, you may realise your original idea is too big.
Sometimes, you need to return to the library, do more reading and re-think your proposal.
Keep your aims clear
Write your aims on a slip of paper and keep it in front of you as you write your sections to ensure:
- the methods that you use will achieve your aim
- your literature review will be relevant.
Provide details
Provide details, especially in your methodology and data analysis section. These are the 2 areas where most proposals come unstuck. For example:
- If you are working with specific groups of people, state why you are going to do this. For example, if your study is limited to people of a specific age range, gender or ethnicity.
- Be explicit in explaining how you will analyse the data. It is not enough to say “the data will be collated and analysed”. How will you do this? What software or theories will be applied?
Stand up for your proposal
It has to stand up to scrutiny and it has to be convincing. Don't be humble about what you are doing – show that you believe it is great research and must be conducted.
Research proposal structure
There are 3 key messages to communicate when writing a research proposal:
- what you are doing
- why it is important
- that you are competent to do it.
You may be asked to write a proposal that includes all of these sections. At undergraduate level, your proposal may focus on only 3 or 4 of the following sections. This is the general order that proposals follow, however you should refer to any specific guidelines on structure from your lecturer or supervisor.
Title page
Your title should answer the question: What is your research about? It should be a short, concise phrase.
Abstract
Generally, you should write an abstract for a proposal in the future tense – outline what you intend to do. An abstract for a proposal should include:
- the topic
- aims of your study
- who will be involved in the research
- the methods and the timeframe.
Usually, you will conclude with a statement explaining the relevance of the research and why it is needed.
Introduction and background
In some proposals, the introduction and background are separate. In others they serve the same purpose and are combined. Both an introduction and background section outline why you chose your topic. The section should include:
- relevance to previous research or literature
- what your research will contribute to the broader research and the field
- what prompted your interest in the topic, if appropriate.
If these are not included under separate headings, your introduction may also include:
- your research objectives, questions or hypothesis
- literature review.
Research question
What is the research question you are trying to find the answer to? This can also be termed as the aim or purpose of the research. Think about how you finish this statement: “The purpose of this research is…”
Literature review
The literature review for a research proposal may draw on a detailed review that you have already conducted, or may be specific to the development of your proposal.
Your literature review needs to demonstrate that you have read broadly on the topic and its wider context. It should:
- Highlight trends in the literature relating to your research topic, including research areas, methodology, theoretical approaches and findings.
- Consider information such as where the literature is mainly coming from, or countries and areas that it is focused on.
- Outline your critiques, such as some of the limitations or any gaps in the literature that you have identified. You need to draw on your literature review to justify your own research. Indicate the gaps your research is addressing and note the original contribution it will make to the field in general.
The literature review helps inform and set up your theoretical framework, methodology and research design.
Ensure that your literature review section reflects the requirements of your assignment.
Theoretical framework
Drawing on the different theories you have identified in your literature review, you need to identify which theoretical approach or approaches will be employed in your research and why.
Methodology
Some proposals distinguish between methodology (the why of how you will gather your data) and the method or research design (the how).
In discussing the methodology, you need to draw on reviewed literature and consider the different methodological approaches used. Your methodology may include your research paradigm and epistemologies that underpin your research and your rationale for this.
Research design and method
As with the theoretical framework and methodology, it is important to demonstrate that you have read other studies in your area of research. You should be able to address the strengths and limitations of the methods in similar research and justify why you have chosen the method that you have.
In your method, you should discuss:
Participants
- Who you will be doing your research on – individuals, businesses, organisations or animals?
- What is your sample size and its parameters?
Data collection
- How will you go about collecting your information, for example surveys, experiments, or interviews?
- What equipment or instruments will you need?
Data analysis and discussion
- How will you analyse the data?
- What tools, programmes and models will you use to assist you with analysis?
- How will analysing the data in this way answer your research question?
Limitations
Look at your methodology and consider any weaknesses or limitations that may occur as a result of your research design. Address the limitations by indicating how you will minimise them.
Ethics
Almost all research needs to consider ethics. In most cases this relates to the ethical consideration of how the data will be collected. In this section you should outline your awareness and understanding of ethical issues associated with your research proposal. You should consider the rights of those being researched, including informed consent, your responsibility, and how the data will be collected, stored and disposed of. You should indicate whether your proposal will require approval from an ethics committee and if so, which one.
Communicating the results
You may need to consider how the information you discover will be shared with the wider academic community. In most cases, a written document such as a report, research paper, thesis or journal article is appropriate to communicate your findings.
If your research is intended to assist a broader audience, such as specific members of the community, other ways to share your knowledge could include:
- conference presentations
- pamphlets
- musical or theatrical performance
- film
- general media articles.
Significance of the research
It is important to convince your reader of the validity of your research. You need to communicate enthusiasm and confidence for the research, arguing clearly as to the contribution it will make to the subject area and discipline in general. This could be a separate section or could be part of the introduction or background.
Timeline
A timeline that estimates how long each task will take helps determine the scope of your research and if it is achievable within a given timeframe. Your research proposal timeline should include time allocation for a detailed literature review, time for approval from ethics committee, reviewing or testing of research design, data collection and analysis and writing up of findings.
It is important to be realistic with the timeframe; consider if you are able to dedicate full time work to the research, if it is to be conducted while you are studying other courses, working part or full time, or have family commitments.
Budget
Often when requesting funding for research, a budget is included to indicate where funds will be allocated. A budget may include items such as the cost of survey design and printing, transcribers, software or research assistants. This could be included in the appendices.
References
Include all references you have used when writing your proposal. This demonstrates that you are serious about your research and have invested time and thought into the process.
Appendices
Most assignments do not use appendices, but sometimes you need to include additional information, transcripts, questionnaire details or raw data. The appendices may include:
- copies of letters seeking participants
- consent forms
- draft surveys or questionnaires.
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