Show that you understand the current state of research on your topic.
The length of a research proposal can vary quite a bit. A bachelor’s or master’s thesis proposal can be just a few pages, while proposals for PhD dissertations or research funding are usually much longer and more detailed. Your supervisor can help you determine the best length for your work.
One trick to get started is to think of your proposal’s structure as a shorter version of your thesis or dissertation , only without the results , conclusion and discussion sections.
Download our research proposal template
Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We’ve included a few for you below.
Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes:
The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project. Make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why.
Your introduction should:
To guide your introduction , include information about:
As you get started, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review shows your reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory. It also shows that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said, but rather using existing research as a jumping-off point for your own.
In this section, share exactly how your project will contribute to ongoing conversations in the field by:
Following the literature review, restate your main objectives . This brings the focus back to your own project. Next, your research design or methodology section will describe your overall approach, and the practical steps you will take to answer your research questions.
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To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential implications of your research for your field. Emphasise again what you aim to contribute and why it matters.
For example, your results might have implications for:
Last but not least, your research proposal must include correct citations for every source you have used, compiled in a reference list . To create citations quickly and easily, you can use our free APA citation generator .
Some institutions or funders require a detailed timeline of the project, asking you to forecast what you will do at each stage and how long it may take. While not always required, be sure to check the requirements of your project.
Here’s an example schedule to help you get started. You can also download a template at the button below.
Download our research schedule template
Research phase | Objectives | Deadline |
---|---|---|
1. Background research and literature review | 20th January | |
2. Research design planning | and data analysis methods | 13th February |
3. Data collection and preparation | with selected participants and code interviews | 24th March |
4. Data analysis | of interview transcripts | 22nd April |
5. Writing | 17th June | |
6. Revision | final work | 28th July |
If you are applying for research funding, chances are you will have to include a detailed budget. This shows your estimates of how much each part of your project will cost.
Make sure to check what type of costs the funding body will agree to cover. For each item, include:
To determine your budget, think about:
Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement.
Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.
I will compare …
A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.
Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.
A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.
A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.
A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.
All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.
Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.
Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.
McCombes, S. & George, T. (2023, June 13). How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved 29 August 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/the-research-process/research-proposal-explained/
Other students also liked, what is a research methodology | steps & tips, what is a literature review | guide, template, & examples, how to write a results section | tips & examples.
Writing a dissertation or thesis proposal, what is a proposal, what is the purpose of a proposal.
The proposal, sometimes called the prospectus, is composed mainly of the Introduction, Research Questions, Literature Review, Research Significance and Methodology. It may also include a dissertation/thesis outline and a timeline for your proposed research. You will be able to reuse the proposal when you actually write the entire dissertation or thesis.
In the graduate student timeline, the proposal comes after successfully passing qualifying or comprehensive exams and before starting the research for a dissertation or thesis.
Each UNT department has slightly different proposal requirements, so be sure to check with your advisor or the department's graduate advisor before you start!
The purpose of a proposal is to convince your dissertation or thesis committee that you are ready to start your research project and to create a plan for your dissertation or thesis work. You will submit your proposal to your committee for review and then you will do your proposal defense, during which you present your plan and the committee asks questions about it. The committee wants to know if your research questions have academic merit and whether you have chosen the right methods to answer the questions.
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Dissertations 1: getting started: writing a proposal.
Before you start your dissertation, you may be asked to write a proposal for it.
The purpose of a dissertation proposal is to provide a snapshot of what your study involves. Usually, after submission of the proposal you will be assigned a supervisor who has some expertise in your field of study. You should receive feedback on the viability of the topic, how to focus the scope, research methods, and other issues you should consider before progressing in your research.
The research proposal should present the dissertation topic, justify your reasons for choosing it and outline how you are going to research it . You'll have to keep it brief, as word counts can vary from anywhere between 800 to 3,000 words at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels.
It is worth bearing in mind that you are not bound by your proposal. Your project is likely going to evolve and may move in a new direction . Your dissertation supervisor is aware that this may occur as you delve deeper into the literature in your field of study. Nevertheless, always discuss any major developments with your supervisor in the first instance.
Before writing a proposal, you will need to read. A lot! But that doesn’t mean you must read everything. Be targeted! What do you really need to know?
Instead of reading every page in every book, look for clues in chapter titles and introductions to narrow your focus down. Use abstracts from journal articles to check whether the material is relevant to your study and keep notes of your reading along with clear records of bibliographic information and page numbers for your references.
Ultimately, your objective should be to create a dialogue between the theories and ideas you have read and your own thoughts. What is your personal perspective on the topic? What evidence is there that supports your point of view? Furthermore, you should ask questions about each text. Is it current or is it outdated? What argument is the author making? Is the author biased?
Approaching your reading in this way ensures that you engage with the literature critically. You will demonstrate that you have done this in your mini literature review (see Proposal Structure box).
If you have not yet started reading for your proposal, the Literature Review Guide offers advice on choosing a topic and how to conduct a literature search. Additionally, the Effective Reading Guide provides tips on researching and critical reading.
So, how is a dissertation proposal typically structured? The structure of a proposal varies considerably.
This is a list of elements that might be required. Please check the dissertation proposal requirements and marking criteria on Blackboard or with your lecturers if you are unsure about the requirements.
Title : The title you have devised, so far - it can change throughout the dissertation drafting process! A good title is simple but fairly specific. Example: "Focus and concentration during revision: an evaluation of the Pomodoro technique."
Introduction/Background : Provides background and presents the key issues of your proposed research. Can include the following:
Rationale : Why is this research being undertaken, why is it interesting and worthwhile, also considering the existing literature?
Purpose : What do you intend to accomplish with your study, e.g. improve something or understand something?
Research question : The main, overarching question your study seeks to answer. E.g. "How can focus and concentration be improved during revision?"
Hypothesis : Quantitative studies can use hypotheses in alternative to research questions. E.g. "Taking regular breaks significantly increases the ability to memorise information."
Aim : The main result your study seeks to achieve. If you use a research question, the aim echoes that, but uses an infinitive. E.g. "The aim of this research is to investigate how can focus and concentration be improved during revision."
Objectives : The stepping stones to achieve your aim. E.g. "The objectives of this research are 1) to review the literature on study techniques; 2) to identify the factors that influence focus and concentration; 3) to undertake an experiment on the Pomodoro technique with student volunteers; 4) to issue recommendations on focus and concentration for revision."
Literature review : Overview of significant literature around the research topic, moving from general (background) to specific (your subject of study). Highlight what the literature says, and does not say, on the research topic, identifying a gap(s) that your research aims to fill.
Methods : Here you consider what methods you are planning to use for your research, and why you are thinking of them. What secondary sources (literature) are you going to consult? Are you going to use primary sources (e.g. data bases, statistics, interviews, questionnaires, experiments)? Are you going to focus on a case study? Is the research going to be qualitative or quantitative? Consider if your research will need ethical clearance.
Significance/Implications/Expected outcomes : In this section you reiterate what are you hoping to demonstrate. State how your research could contribute to debates in your particular subject area, perhaps filling a gap(s) in the existing works.
Plan of Work : You might be asked to present your timeline for completing the dissertation. The timeline can be presented using different formats such as bullet points, table, Gantt chart. Whichever format you use, your plan of work should be realistic and should demonstrate awareness of the various elements of the study such as literature research, empirical work, drafting, re-drafting, etc.
Outline : Here you include a provisional table of contents for your dissertation. The structure of the dissertation can be free or prescribed by the dissertation guidelines of your course, so check that up.
Reference List : The list should include the bibliographical information of all the sources you cited in the proposal, listed in alphabetical order.
Most of the elements mentioned above are explained in the tabs of this guide!
Literature-based dissertations in the humanities
A literature-based dissertation in the humanities, however, might be less rigidly structured and may look like this:
Check your proposal!
Have you shown that your research idea is:
Ethical?
Relevant?
Feasible with the timeframe and resources available?
Have you:
Identified a clear research gap to focus on?
Stated why your study is important?
Selected a methodology that will enable you to gather the data you need?
Use the marking criteria for dissertation proposals provided by your department to check your work.
Locke, L.F., Spirduso, W.W. and Silverman, S.J. (2014). Proposals that Work: A Guide for Planning Dissertations and Grant Proposals . Sage.
What is the dissertation proposal process, what is the difference between a dissertation and a dissertation proposal, what are the elements of a dissertation proposal, what does a good dissertation proposal look like, how do you present a dissertation proposal.
With the dissertation as the culminating work that leads to successful completion of a doctoral degree, the dissertation proposal or thesis proposal serves as the backbone of the research that will ultimately inform your research agenda in the dissertation stage and beyond. A well-crafted proposed study details the research problem , your research question , and your methodology for studying the dissertation topic.
In this article, we will provide a brief introduction of the components of a good dissertation proposal, why they are important, and what needs to be incorporated into a proposal to allow your committee to conduct further study on your topic.
A typical doctoral program requires a dissertation or thesis through which a doctoral student demonstrates their knowledge and expertise in the prevailing theories and methodologies in their chosen research area. By the time a student is ready for the dissertation proposal stage, they will have taken the necessary coursework on theory and research methods or have demonstrated their expertise in lab work or written publications.
Most doctoral programs also require students to complete comprehensive examinations (these may go by other names such as qualifying exams or preliminary exams). These assess the ability to understand and synthesize scientific knowledge in a given research field. What separates the dissertation proposal from these examinations is that the dissertation proposal asks students to create an entirely new study that builds on that existing knowledge, separating fully-fledged researchers and scientists from merely scholars familiar with expert knowledge.
Needless to say, the dissertation proposal is the precursor to the eventual dissertation. Think of the proposal as a request for permission to conduct the study that you need to conduct to write and defend your dissertation.
Because a rigorous research process is also extensive and drawn out, the proposal is also a reflection of the expertise you have about the dissertation topic. Committee members want to know if you have the necessary knowledge about the existing research to be able to generate empirical knowledge through a full dissertation study.
Once you have conducted your research, the dissertation itself will often take components from your written proposal in providing a comprehensive report on the scholarly knowledge you have generated and how you generated it. That said, the overall scholarly work will likely evolve between the proposal stage and the final dissertation, making the proposal a useful foundation on which your entire research agenda is built.
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By this point in a doctoral program, a student is already familiar with components in a research paper such as a thesis statement, a research question , methodology , and findings and discussion sections. These aspects are commonly found in journal articles and conference presentations. However, a dissertation proposal is most likely a lengthy document as your dissertation committee will expect certain things that may not always belong in a journal article with the level of detail found in a proposal.
A clear dissertation proposal outlines the problem that the proposed research aims to address. An effective problem statement can identify the potential value of the research if it is approved and conducted. It also elevates the research from an inquiry generated from pure intellectual curiosity to a directed study that the greater academic community will find relevant and compelling.
Identifying a problem that research can solve is less about a personal interest and more about justifying why the research deserves to go forward. A good dissertation proposal should make the case that the research can expand theoretical knowledge or identify applications to address practical concerns.
Research questions are the product of a good problem statement. Whereas a useful problem statement will establish the relevance of the study, a research question will focus on aspects of the problem that, when addressed through research, will yield useful theoretical developments or practical insights.
Once the proposed project is justified in terms of its potential value, the next question is whether existing research has something to say about the problem. A thorough literature review is necessary to be able to identify the necessary gaps in the theory or methodology.
A thorough survey of the research background can also provide a useful theoretical framework that researchers can use to conduct data collection and analysis . Basing your analytical approach on published research will establish useful connections between your research and existing scientific knowledge, a quality that your committee will look for in determining the importance of your proposed study.
With a useful theoretical background in mind, the methodology section lays out what the study will look like if it is approved. In a nutshell, a comprehensive treatment of the methodology should include descriptions of the research context (e.g., the participants and the broader environment they occupy), data collection procedures, data analysis strategies, and any expected outcomes.
A thorough explanation of the methodological approach you will apply to your study is critical to a successful proposal. Compared to an explanation of methods in a peer-reviewed journal article, the methodology is expected to take up an entire chapter in your dissertation, so the methods section in your proposal should be just as long. Be prepared to explain not only what strategies for data collection and analysis you choose but why they are appropriate for your research topic and research questions.
The expected outcomes represent the student's best guess as to what might happen and what insights might be collected during the course of the study. This is similar to a research hypothesis in that an expected outcome provides a sort of baseline that the researcher should use to determine the extent of the novelty in the findings.
At this point, dissertation committee members are looking at the extent to which a doctoral student can design a transparent and rigorous study that can contribute new knowledge to the existing body of relevant literature on a given research topic. Especially in the social sciences, the approach a researcher takes in generating new knowledge is often more important than the new knowledge itself, making the methods section arguably the most critical component in your proposal.
Successful dissertation proposals serve both as compelling arguments justifying future research as well as written knowledge that can be incorporated into the eventual dissertation. Oftentimes, students are advised that the dissertation proposal has a similar structure to that of the first few chapters of a dissertation, as they describe the research problem , background, and methodology .
In that sense, a good proposal will help the student save time in writing what will be an even lengthier dissertation. To your advisor and your committee, a successful proposal is less an examination than it is a tool or formal process to help you through the doctoral journey.
Throughout the process of writing your proposal, it's important to communicate with the members of your dissertation committee so they can clarify their expectations regarding what belongs in the proposal. Ultimately, beyond the accepted norms regarding what goes into a typical dissertation proposal, it is up to your committee to determine if you have the expertise and appropriate methodological approach to conduct novel research.
The proposal will most likely be the longest report you will write in your doctoral program, with the exception of the dissertation itself. That's because you will need to describe your research design in the kind of painstaking detail that often isn't included in a typical peer-reviewed research article or academic presentation.
In general terms, the more detail that you can provide in your proposal, the clearer your research agenda as you collect and analyze data , and the easier your dissertation will be to write. However, a dissertation proposal is more than simply a word or page count. It is a document that is intended to "sell" the value of your research to your committee.
Your committee will be made up of your advisor and other faculty members in your university (with some exceptions depending on your doctoral program). These members need to be convinced that your research can contribute to the larger body of scholarly knowledge within the university and in the greater academic community as a whole. As a result, a good proposal is not an encyclopedic presentation of knowledge, but an informed synthesis of theory and methodology that points out where research in a particular topic should be conducted next.
In addition to the substance of your proposal, also pay attention to the packaging of your proposal. Little details such as the title page and reference list also provide indicators that you have carefully thought about the research you want to conduct, and show your level of commitment as a future career scholar. As with submitting a research paper for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, developing the dissertation proposal should also be done with the necessary care that demonstrates a professional attitude toward literacy practices and best practices in academic research.
Typically, the dissertation proposal will need to be presented in person to your committee. This is a chance for your committee to confirm they have read the proposal, offer feedback to strengthen the research design, and offer their approval for you to go ahead and conduct your research if it is a strong enough proposal. In many respects, the proposal meeting is a dry run for the kind of questions you will likely face from your committee when it comes time to defend your dissertation.
Even if you successfully defend your proposal, your advisor may ask for revisions to the written proposal based on the feedback your committee provides. These revisions are not only crucial to the eventual data collection and analysis but to strengthening the argument you will make about the validity and novelty of your research later on.
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The goal of a research proposal is twofold: to present and justify the need to study a research problem and to present the practical ways in which the proposed study should be conducted. The design elements and procedures for conducting research are governed by standards of the predominant discipline in which the problem resides, therefore, the guidelines for research proposals are more exacting and less formal than a general project proposal. Research proposals contain extensive literature reviews. They must provide persuasive evidence that a need exists for the proposed study. In addition to providing a rationale, a proposal describes detailed methodology for conducting the research consistent with requirements of the professional or academic field and a statement on anticipated outcomes and benefits derived from the study's completion.
Krathwohl, David R. How to Prepare a Dissertation Proposal: Suggestions for Students in Education and the Social and Behavioral Sciences . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2005.
Your professor may assign the task of writing a research proposal for the following reasons:
A proposal should contain all the key elements involved in designing a completed research study, with sufficient information that allows readers to assess the validity and usefulness of your proposed study. The only elements missing from a research proposal are the findings of the study and your analysis of those findings. Finally, an effective proposal is judged on the quality of your writing and, therefore, it is important that your proposal is coherent, clear, and compelling.
Regardless of the research problem you are investigating and the methodology you choose, all research proposals must address the following questions:
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Procter, Margaret. The Academic Proposal. The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Sanford, Keith. Information for Students: Writing a Research Proposal. Baylor University; Wong, Paul T. P. How to Write a Research Proposal. International Network on Personal Meaning. Trinity Western University; Writing Academic Proposals: Conferences, Articles, and Books. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing a Research Proposal. University Library. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Beginning the Proposal Process
As with writing most college-level academic papers, research proposals are generally organized the same way throughout most social science disciplines. The text of proposals generally vary in length between ten and thirty-five pages, followed by the list of references. However, before you begin, read the assignment carefully and, if anything seems unclear, ask your professor whether there are any specific requirements for organizing and writing the proposal.
A good place to begin is to ask yourself a series of questions:
In general, a compelling research proposal should document your knowledge of the topic and demonstrate your enthusiasm for conducting the study. Approach it with the intention of leaving your readers feeling like, "Wow, that's an exciting idea and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!"
Most proposals should include the following sections:
I. Introduction
In the real world of higher education, a research proposal is most often written by scholars seeking grant funding for a research project or it's the first step in getting approval to write a doctoral dissertation. Even if this is just a course assignment, treat your introduction as the initial pitch of an idea based on a thorough examination of the significance of a research problem. After reading the introduction, your readers should not only have an understanding of what you want to do, but they should also be able to gain a sense of your passion for the topic and to be excited about the study's possible outcomes. Note that most proposals do not include an abstract [summary] before the introduction.
Think about your introduction as a narrative written in two to four paragraphs that succinctly answers the following four questions :
II. Background and Significance
This is where you explain the scope and context of your proposal and describe in detail why it's important. It can be melded into your introduction or you can create a separate section to help with the organization and narrative flow of your proposal. Approach writing this section with the thought that you can’t assume your readers will know as much about the research problem as you do. Note that this section is not an essay going over everything you have learned about the topic; instead, you must choose what is most relevant in explaining the aims of your research.
To that end, while there are no prescribed rules for establishing the significance of your proposed study, you should attempt to address some or all of the following:
III. Literature Review
Connected to the background and significance of your study is a section of your proposal devoted to a more deliberate review and synthesis of prior studies related to the research problem under investigation . The purpose here is to place your project within the larger whole of what is currently being explored, while at the same time, demonstrating to your readers that your work is original and innovative. Think about what questions other researchers have asked, what methodological approaches they have used, and what is your understanding of their findings and, when stated, their recommendations. Also pay attention to any suggestions for further research.
Since a literature review is information dense, it is crucial that this section is intelligently structured to enable a reader to grasp the key arguments underpinning your proposed study in relation to the arguments put forth by other researchers. A good strategy is to break the literature into "conceptual categories" [themes] rather than systematically or chronologically describing groups of materials one at a time. Note that conceptual categories generally reveal themselves after you have read most of the pertinent literature on your topic so adding new categories is an on-going process of discovery as you review more studies. How do you know you've covered the key conceptual categories underlying the research literature? Generally, you can have confidence that all of the significant conceptual categories have been identified if you start to see repetition in the conclusions or recommendations that are being made.
NOTE: Do not shy away from challenging the conclusions made in prior research as a basis for supporting the need for your proposal. Assess what you believe is missing and state how previous research has failed to adequately examine the issue that your study addresses. Highlighting the problematic conclusions strengthens your proposal. For more information on writing literature reviews, GO HERE .
To help frame your proposal's review of prior research, consider the "five C’s" of writing a literature review:
IV. Research Design and Methods
This section must be well-written and logically organized because you are not actually doing the research, yet, your reader must have confidence that you have a plan worth pursuing . The reader will never have a study outcome from which to evaluate whether your methodological choices were the correct ones. Thus, the objective here is to convince the reader that your overall research design and proposed methods of analysis will correctly address the problem and that the methods will provide the means to effectively interpret the potential results. Your design and methods should be unmistakably tied to the specific aims of your study.
Describe the overall research design by building upon and drawing examples from your review of the literature. Consider not only methods that other researchers have used, but methods of data gathering that have not been used but perhaps could be. Be specific about the methodological approaches you plan to undertake to obtain information, the techniques you would use to analyze the data, and the tests of external validity to which you commit yourself [i.e., the trustworthiness by which you can generalize from your study to other people, places, events, and/or periods of time].
When describing the methods you will use, be sure to cover the following:
V. Preliminary Suppositions and Implications
Just because you don't have to actually conduct the study and analyze the results, doesn't mean you can skip talking about the analytical process and potential implications . The purpose of this section is to argue how and in what ways you believe your research will refine, revise, or extend existing knowledge in the subject area under investigation. Depending on the aims and objectives of your study, describe how the anticipated results will impact future scholarly research, theory, practice, forms of interventions, or policy making. Note that such discussions may have either substantive [a potential new policy], theoretical [a potential new understanding], or methodological [a potential new way of analyzing] significance. When thinking about the potential implications of your study, ask the following questions:
NOTE: This section should not delve into idle speculation, opinion, or be formulated on the basis of unclear evidence . The purpose is to reflect upon gaps or understudied areas of the current literature and describe how your proposed research contributes to a new understanding of the research problem should the study be implemented as designed.
ANOTHER NOTE : This section is also where you describe any potential limitations to your proposed study. While it is impossible to highlight all potential limitations because the study has yet to be conducted, you still must tell the reader where and in what form impediments may arise and how you plan to address them.
VI. Conclusion
The conclusion reiterates the importance or significance of your proposal and provides a brief summary of the entire study . This section should be only one or two paragraphs long, emphasizing why the research problem is worth investigating, why your research study is unique, and how it should advance existing knowledge.
Someone reading this section should come away with an understanding of:
VII. Citations
As with any scholarly research paper, you must cite the sources you used . In a standard research proposal, this section can take two forms, so consult with your professor about which one is preferred.
In either case, this section should testify to the fact that you did enough preparatory work to ensure the project will complement and not just duplicate the efforts of other researchers. It demonstrates to the reader that you have a thorough understanding of prior research on the topic.
Most proposal formats have you start a new page and use the heading "References" or "Bibliography" centered at the top of the page. Cited works should always use a standard format that follows the writing style advised by the discipline of your course [e.g., education=APA; history=Chicago] or that is preferred by your professor. This section normally does not count towards the total page length of your research proposal.
Develop a Research Proposal: Writing the Proposal. Office of Library Information Services. Baltimore County Public Schools; Heath, M. Teresa Pereira and Caroline Tynan. “Crafting a Research Proposal.” The Marketing Review 10 (Summer 2010): 147-168; Jones, Mark. “Writing a Research Proposal.” In MasterClass in Geography Education: Transforming Teaching and Learning . Graham Butt, editor. (New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2015), pp. 113-127; Juni, Muhamad Hanafiah. “Writing a Research Proposal.” International Journal of Public Health and Clinical Sciences 1 (September/October 2014): 229-240; Krathwohl, David R. How to Prepare a Dissertation Proposal: Suggestions for Students in Education and the Social and Behavioral Sciences . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2005; Procter, Margaret. The Academic Proposal. The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Punch, Keith and Wayne McGowan. "Developing and Writing a Research Proposal." In From Postgraduate to Social Scientist: A Guide to Key Skills . Nigel Gilbert, ed. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2006), 59-81; Wong, Paul T. P. How to Write a Research Proposal. International Network on Personal Meaning. Trinity Western University; Writing Academic Proposals: Conferences , Articles, and Books. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing a Research Proposal. University Library. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Research degrees
How to write your research proposal, with examples of good proposals.
Your research proposal is a key part of your application. It tells us about the question you want to answer through your research. It is a chance for you to show your knowledge of the subject area and tell us about the methods you want to use.
We use your research proposal to match you with a supervisor or team of supervisors.
In your proposal, please tell us if you have an interest in the work of a specific academic at York St John. You can get in touch with this academic to discuss your proposal. You can also speak to one of our Research Leads. There is a list of our Research Leads on the Apply page.
When you write your proposal you need to:
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Parts of a research proposal, prosana model, introduction, research question, methodology.
A research proposal's purpose is to capture the evaluator's attention, demonstrate the study's potential benefits, and prove that it is a logical and consistent approach (Van Ekelenburg, 2010). To ensure that your research proposal contains these elements, there are several aspects to include in your proposal (Al-Riyami, 2008):
Details about what to include in each element are included in the boxes below. Depending on the topic of your study, some parts may not apply to your proposal. You can also watch the video below for a brief overview about writing a successful research proposal.
Van Ekelenburg (2010) uses the PROSANA Model to guide researchers in developing rationale and justification for their research projects. It is an acronym that connects the problem, solution, and benefits of a particular research project. It is an easy way to remember the critical parts of a research proposal and how they relate to one another. It includes the following letters (Van Ekelenburg, 2010):
Research proposal titles should be concise and to the point, but informative. The title of your proposal may be different from the title of your final research project, but that is completely normal! Your findings may help you come up with a title that is more fitting for the final project. Characteristics of good proposal titles are (Al-Riyami, 2008):
It is also common for proposal titles to be very similar to your research question, hypothesis, or thesis statement (Locke et al., 2007).
An abstract is a brief summary (about 300 words) of the study you are proposing. It includes the following elements (Al-Riyami, 2008):
Our guide on writing summaries may help you with this step.
The purpose of the introduction is to give readers background information about your topic. it gives the readers a basic understanding of your topic so that they can further understand the significance of your proposal. A good introduction will explain (Al-Riyami, 2008):
Your research objectives are the desired outcomes that you will achieve from the research project. Depending on your research design, these may be generic or very specific. You may also have more than one objective (Al-Riyami, 2008).
Be careful not to have too many objectives in your proposal, as having too many can make your project lose focus. Plus, it may not be possible to achieve several objectives in one study.
This section describes the different types of variables that you plan to have in your study and how you will measure them. According to Al-Riyami (2008), there are four types of research variables:
Your research proposal should describe each of your variables and how they relate to one another. Depending on your study, you may not have all four types of variables present. However, there will always be an independent and dependent variable.
A research question is the main piece of your research project because it explains what your study will discover to the reader. It is the question that fuels the study, so it is important for it to be precise and unique. You do not want it to be too broad, and it should identify a relationship between two variables (an independent and a dependent) (Al-Riyami, 2008). There are six types of research questions (Academic Writer, n.d.):
For more information on the different types of research questions, you can view the "Research Questions and Hypotheses" tutorial on Academic Writer, located below. If you are unfamiliar with Academic Writer, we also have a tutorial on using the database located below.
Compose papers in pre-formatted APA templates. Manage references in forms that help craft APA citations. Learn the rules of APA style through tutorials and practice quizzes.
Academic Writer will continue to use the 6th edition guidelines until August 2020. A preview of the 7th edition is available in the footer of the resource's site. Previously known as APA Style Central.
If you know enough about your research topic that you believe a particular outcome may occur as a result of the study, you can include a hypothesis (thesis statement) in your proposal. A hypothesis is a prediction that you believe will be the outcome of your study. It explains what you think the relationship will be between the independent and dependent variable (Al-Riyami, 2008). It is ok if the hypothesis in your proposal turns out to be incorrect, because it is only a prediction! If you are writing a proposal in the humanities, you may be writing a thesis statement instead of a hypothesis. A thesis presents the main argument of your research project and leads to corresponding evidence to support your argument.
Hypotheses vs. Theories
Hypotheses are different from theories in that theories represent general principles and sets of rules that explain different phenomena. They typically represent large areas of study because they are applicable to anything in a particular field. Hypotheses focus on specific areas within a field and are educated guesses, meaning that they have the potential to be proven wrong (Academic Writer, n.d.). Because of this, hypotheses can also be formed from theories.
For more information on writing effective thesis statements, you can view our guide on writing thesis statements below.
In a research proposal, you must thoroughly explain how you will conduct your study. This includes things such as (Al-Riyami, 2008):
For more information on research methodologies, you can view our guide on research methods and methodologies below.
How to write a winning research proposal: a step-by-step guide.
When learning how to write a research proposal, it is important to start with a detailed plan that outlines the objectives, methodology, and significance of a research project. A research proposal is a crucial document for securing funding, gaining approval from academic committees, or outlining a structured plan for personal research endeavours. Crafting a compelling research proposal requires a clear understanding of the subject matter, a well-defined research question, and a meticulous approach to planning and presenting your research. This article will explore how to write a winning research proposal and how to navigate the challenges associated with it.
A well-structured research proposal typically includes several key components. Each section serves a specific purpose and contributes to the overall coherence and persuasiveness of the proposal.
The title of your research proposal should be concise, descriptive, and indicative of the main research question or hypothesis. A well-crafted title captures the essence of the study and draws the reader’s attention.
The abstract is a brief summary of the research proposal, usually no more than 250 words. It should provide an overview of the research problem, objectives, methodology, and potential implications. The abstract should be clear and succinct, giving readers a quick understanding of what the proposal entails.
The introduction sets the stage for your research by providing background information on the topic, outlining the research problem, and stating the research objectives. This section should:
The literature review demonstrates your understanding of the existing research on your topic. This section should:
The methodology section outlines the research design and the methods you will use to collect and analyse data. This section should include:
Provide a detailed plan of the research activities and a timeline for completing each phase of the project. This section should demonstrate that your research is feasible within the given timeframe.
If you are seeking funding, include a budget that outlines the estimated costs of your research. Be specific about how funds will be allocated (e.g., equipment, travel, participant incentives).
Discuss the potential outcomes of your research and its significance. Explain how your findings could contribute to the field, inform policy, or have practical applications.
List all the sources you cited in your proposal. Use a consistent and appropriate citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago).
Be clear and concise.
Use clear and straightforward language. Avoid jargon and complex sentences that might confuse readers. Aim for clarity and precision in explaining your research.
Ensure that your proposal remains focused on the research question and objectives. Avoid including irrelevant information that does not contribute to the understanding of your proposed study.
Provide a realistic assessment of what can be achieved within the given timeframe and resources. Be honest about the scope of your research and any potential limitations.
Edit and Proofread
Your proposal must be clear, concise, and logically organised, following all rules of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and referencing. Adhere to the specific format and style required by your funding source or institution. Proofread your proposal multiple times, ideally with the help of a colleague or mentor, to identify and correct any mistakes or inconsistencies. Enhance the proposal’s structure, flow, and language to improve its overall quality. Ensure your proposal is compelling, engaging, and professionally presented.
Writing a research proposal is a critical step in the research process. It requires careful planning, a thorough understanding of the topic, and a clear presentation of your research plan. By following the structure outlined in this guide and paying attention to detail, you can craft a compelling research proposal that effectively communicates your ideas and secures the necessary support for your research.
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Speaker 1: One of the most frequently asked questions that I am asked all the time across my social media platforms, across my YouTube, across my comments, is about the research process. So how do you start? Where do you even begin? You need to submit a dissertation, you need to submit a research proposal, you need to think of a hypothesis, you need to think of a problem statement, you need to find a gap in literature where do you even begin with the whole research process now it isn't as hard as it seems it's just one of those things that you're never told or you're never taught how to do it's one of those things that you just kind of figure out so hopefully in today's video i will be talking to you about the overview and kind of a quick beginner's guide to the research process, giving you the steps of how you get from zero to having something, having a question, having a hypothesis, having somewhere to start. I'm going to be making this into a bit of a series so in today's video I'm going to be giving you an overview as to the different chapters, the different sections of the process, how you get from nothing to something and then in the following videos I will be going through each of those sections in a bit more detail and hopefully if you are someone who is within one of those kind of parts you can just jump to that video and have a have a quick quick watch if you are someone who is just starting off then this is the best place for you to begin have a little think about how you're going to navigate your research process and how you're going to get from the start to the end it is not difficult but it does require a few steps, a few technicalities, which I'll talk you through today. I'll leave the timestamps down below so you feel free to go and jump to the different sections that you are interested in watching. And if you do enjoy this kind of video and you want to see the rest of the videos from me, then don't forget to subscribe to see more on my channel. So step number one is to choose a topic. Now this is the beginning of something beautiful. This is where you choose what you're actually going to be studying and when you're actually going to be reading about now it's really important that you have chosen a topic that you are interested in that there is an interest in within the research space that has something missing so you don't want to choose a topic that we know everything about you want to choose a topic that we don't know everything about and there are things that we want to try to find more about you want to choose a topic that is within your university guidelines so as much as i would love to do a research on the solar system about space well if my course is to do with cell biology well then i can't so you have to think about your limits think about what you are allowed to do within your university guidelines as well but you do need to think about taking that broad topic and making it into something a bit more narrow so it's not good enough to just say i want to do research on alzheimer's okay alzheimer's fine you've got a topic, but you now need to narrow it down. So what about it are you looking at? Are you looking at the risk factors? Are you looking at what happens once you have Alzheimer's? Are you looking at a specific group of people? Are you looking at a specific cell type? What is it that you are looking at? You need to narrow that down. In order to narrow it down, you need to do a bit of a literature search. So whilst choosing a topic, whilst in this first stage, you need to look at literature. So to find literature you want to go to different websites where you have literature and this could be for example Google Scholar is a good place to start, PubMed is a good place to start. These are places where you can find literature about that topic and kind of read around the subject and identify whether firstly is it something that you are actually interested in and secondly is there enough information for you to gather to be able to write your literature review in the future so that first step your first step of your research process is thinking about the topic because without a topic you there's nothing you can't do anything else so the first step has to always be to find a topic and think about it now once you've thought about a topic and you've narrowed it down to the thing that you're interested in at this stage you will then go to your supervisor to your lecturer to your professor to your mentor to your tutor and you will ask them do you think this is a good topic and that is where you will get some feedback and most likely you'll have to go back have another think or try to refine a bit more or try to think about it in a different way but that is always the first step. In the video that I make about finding a good topic we'll talk about it in a lot more depth but to start off with to introduce this is always the first step. So the second step is to identify a problem and this is what we like to call in as you know in research the gap in literature. So a problem slash gap in literature is the part of research that we that is missing. So when you do research in fact in order to graduate from a PhD you have to and this is one of the criteria you have to produce research it has to be in a thesis or in a in a published paper it has to be research it has to be a finding that is new something that we do not know before we did not know before your research right and that is the number one criteria for for actually getting a phd it is the fact that it has to be something new has to be something novel that you have discovered okay so you need to think about the gap in literature where is there a missing piece i understand this i understand that we know this we know that but what is there that we don't quite know and that is the bit that you are then going to try to identify during your research process right chosen a topic now we need to find the problem where is the missing information now in order to do this you need to have read a lot of papers around your topic. So that's why I said initially, you need to have had approval from your committee, from your tutor, your supervisor to say, right, that's okay. It's good for me to go there. Now you've got that topic that you're looking at. You then want to try to find the gap. Where are you going to slot in? What is it that you are going to provide in terms of knowledge? Now, the identifying a problem is actually quite an important and quite critical part of the research process it's almost impossible you to continue on with your research without having identified the problem because if you don't have a problem you don't know what it is you're looking at you don't know what methods you're using you don't know what your research question is going to be or your hypothesis so at this stage you have to have a very well-defined research problem and your question in order to continue on to the next steps so when i say research problem and we'll talk about this more in in the following video that i'm going to produce about it but when i talk about research problem it could be a number of different things so it could be that we understand or we have the knowledge of a certain situation but now you're comparing it to a different situation so it could be more theoretical where you're comparing two things to each other that haven't been compared before so that would be fine as long as what you have is something original or you may be trying to explore a specific relationship let's say for example in my case with my PhD I was looking at two different proteins and the relationship between them so that is one type of research that you can do as well and so just think about your topic and think about where the gap is in the literature you have to read a lot to be able to find this and a question I get a lot emailed to me and directed to me is about this problem so how do I find a problem like how do i find a gap in literature and it's almost impossible for me to to give you any answers because i have to have read all the papers within your topic in order to answer that question which is almost impossible so it's something that you have to do independently and you can always discuss with me you can discuss kind of trying to refine that question but for the most part you need to read around your subject yourself to get that question then step number three is to actually write down your research question now this is usually in the form maybe of a hypothesis or maybe it could be just a you know a standalone question so this is just you saying this is what i'm looking at so i'm looking at whether actin and myosin bind together to have an impact on the motility of the cortex like that is my question and then i'll have a hypothesis saying actin and myosin bind together and they do this so this is just my question and you're just following on from your problem so you've identified your topic you found the problem the gap in literature and then you write down what your question is so what it is exactly that you are looking for and this will be like your guiding star this will be the thing the question the statement that you have at the top you know at the top of your mind whenever you are looking at literature whenever you're writing a literature review whenever you speak to someone you have that question in mind and so that needs to be something that's really well defined it should also be really specific so it can't just be saying is obesity caused by i don't know fatty food i'm just giving a random example that is too vague is obesity in children in male in female different ages what fatty foods what like you need to be very very specific so specific that someone else should be able to pick up your research question and know what it is you're looking at they need to be able to know sort of what methods you're using is it qualitative or is it quantitative what type of research are you actually doing that should really be in the research question so a good research question is one where that is really well defined then step number four is to write a research design so this is where you're kind of creating a bit of a method a bit of a process within a process so you are now writing down and you're now thinking about how you're going to conduct this research so to follow this will be the research proposal but at this stage here you're just thinking about your research design so how are you going to get this research done what are the factors that you need to think about who are the people the participants that you may need are you doing a lab-based thing do you need cells are you you know what do you need humans do you need animals is it just a review paper so do you just need to think about researchers out there what kind of study are you going to conduct in order to find out the results and the answer to your question essentially the research design is a practical framework so it's giving laying out that frame for you in order to answer your research question. And here, it's more of a thinking process. It's more of a discussion. You might want to ask your supervisor, you might want to ask your tutor to talk about it. How are we going to get the answer to this question? And then to finish off the research process, you now want to write a research proposal. And I have a really good video about this, and I'll leave the link for it down below, where you are detailing all the steps for your research so you're detailing your the background of your research the literature review and you're justifying that there is a need for this research you then want to detail your methods your materials the aim your you know your timeline how long it's going to take you to do these things and then that document is what you take with you to your supervisor and say look this is my research proposal you might take it to a potential phd supervisor and say look this is what i've found and this is what i'm really interested in and here is the proposal and you have it all outlined there for you or it's a document that you're able to use in order to build upon your dissertation and so if you're writing an essay dissertation you are able to use that as well so with your research proposal you are detailing the context you are detailing the purpose the plan and your aims the whole process going from finding a topic finding a problem finding the research question defining the actual research and then now you're compiling all of that and you're putting it into a document called the research proposal and all of this information is in there someone should be able to pick that up see what you found find the review of the literature and say right this is a good study this is a good bit of research we are going to approve this and then you can go on and plan the rest of your research so i hope this video helped you summarizing the steps of the research process to begin with and as i mentioned i'm going to be doing each of these five steps as single videos so i can expand on them and i'll make it into a playlist so you're able to sort of follow up and click on the next couple videos but for now i hope this did help with thinking about the research process and thinking about maybe what stage you are at if you are at any of them if you do want further support you can contact me on thepagedoctor.com where i give support and we have a team of consultants top consultants and top editors that can support you through the process of writing your research proposal or even through the post process of thinking about how you're going to find a gap in literature how you're going to find you know your hypothesis and define that for you so don't forget to leave me a comment and let me know if this was helpful and don't forget to leave me a thumbs up and subscribe to see more from me and I'll see you in my next one. Bye.
This course is designed to help students complete their M.S. thesis. It is expected that research for the thesis project will be relevant to the student’s specialization area and will make an academic contribution to the literature in Sport Management.
For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog .
View this course’s outcomes, policies, schedule, and more.*
*The information contained in our Course Guides is provided as a sample. Specific course curriculum and requirements for each course are provided by individual instructors each semester. Students should not use Course Guides to find and complete assignments, class prerequisites, or order books.
SMGT 688 is the first course in the three-course thesis sequence and supports students in building the foundation of the thesis project. It provides focused study on ethics in research, topic selection, introduction to the study, the literature review, and the methodology.
Course requirements checklist.
After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations , the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.
The IRB requires researchers, co-researchers, and faculty sponsors to complete research ethics training through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) prior to receiving IRB approval. The IRB requires the completion of either the Social & Behavioral Researchers or Biomedical & Health Science Researchers courses, whichever is most applicable to the research being conducted.
IRB CITI Training Certificate
Liberty University IRB website
Your submission will include a file upload of the completed CITI Training Certificate for Social & Behavioral Science Researchers.
The goal of this assignment is to focus your research. The Research Chair should have a solid understanding of what you intend to study and how you intend to study it.
Your submission will include the following:
APA formatted title page – see research templates for example(s):
Students should address the following questions in their submission:
This section should educate the reader regarding the topic. Start this section by catching the reader’s attention. Use recent evidence from 2-3 scholarly journal articles published within the last five years. This section contains a summary of the most relevant literature on the topic and provides the historical (i.e., how the problem has evolved over time), social (i.e., contexts), and theoretical (e.g., important variables, the theoretical concepts, and the principles underpinning the research) contexts for the research problem. Each of the three contexts must be specifically examined using APA Level 2 headings for each.
You should be sure to link and relate the background of the study to the proposed research. This is just an overview. You will go into more depth later. Questions to address may include but are not limited to the following:
The content of this assignment is built on the thesis-track assignments completed in SMGT 520:
Thesis Resources
This is a narrative assignment using the proper template and headings. See the qualitative research template or the quantitative research template for additional guidance.
The body of the submission will include:
Qualitative: | Quantitative: |
· Overview | · Overview |
· Background: Assignment 2 (approved) | · Background: Assignment 2 (approved) |
· Situation to Self | · Problem Statement |
· Problem Statement · Purpose Statement | · Purpose Statement |
This is a narrative assignment using the proper template and headings. See the qualitative research template or the quantitative research template in Canvas for additional guidance.
Qualitative: | Quantitative: |
· Significance of the Study | · Significance of the Study |
· Research Question(s) | · Research Question(s) |
· Definitions | · Definitions |
· Summary | · Summary |
Change Matrix Form: Complete Form Available here
| ||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Qualitative Design: | Quantitative Design: |
· Overview | · Overview |
· Design | · Design |
· Research Question(s) | · Research Question(s) |
· Settings · Participants · Procedures · The Researcher’s Role · Data Collection Description | · Hypothesis(es) · Participants and Setting · Instrumentation · Procedures |
Before collecting data, students must have their project approved through the IRB. IRB approval ensures that the study aligns with applicable federal regulations and university policy.
IRB Information
Human subjects research is regulated by the federal government through the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Human Research Protections. The IRB committee consists of faculty members from various Liberty departments and one non-university member.
The IRB is required to review all research involving human participants to ensure the privacy, confidentiality, and safety of participants. The IRB is part of Liberty University’s Research Ethics Office , which is responsible for ensuring that all research conducted by Liberty University faculty, staff, and students are done in accordance with federal regulations and university policy.
Students are encouraged to carefully review the IRB website, including the IRB Application Checklist .
Your submission will include a file upload verifying that the IRB Application submission has been “certified” and is ready for IRB review.
***Data cannot be collected until the IRB approval letter is received.***
This goal of this assignment is to assemble the completed thesis proposal.
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The fastest (and smartest) way to craft a convincing proposal and get your dissertation or research project approved.
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This free proposal template covers the core essential ingredients for a strong research proposal. It includes clear explanations of what you need to address in each section, as well as straightforward examples and links to further resources. The template covers the following core elements:
The Google Doc can be copied to your Google Drive 0r downloaded as a fully editable MS Word Document (DOCX format), which you can also use in LaTeX.
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Research proposal template faqs, what types of research proposals can this template be used for.
The proposal template follows the standard format for academic research projects, which means it will be suitable for the vast majority of dissertations and theses (especially those within the sciences), whether they are qualitative or quantitative in terms of design.
Keep in mind that the exact requirements for the introduction chapter/section will vary between universities and degree programs. These are typically minor, but it’s always a good idea to double-check your university’s requirements before you finalise your structure.
This template can be used for a research project at any level of study. Doctoral-level projects typically require the research proposal to be more extensive/comprehensive, but the structure will typically remain the same.
The length of a research proposal varies by institution and subject, but as a ballpark, it’s usually between 1,500 and 3,000 words.
To be safe, it’s best to check with your university if they have any preferences or requirements in terms of minimum and maximum word count for the research propsal.
You don’t need to go into the fine details of your methodology, but this section should be detailed enough to demonstrate that your research approach is feasible and will address your research questions effectively. Be sure to include your intended methods for data collection and analysis.
Generally, yes. This can strengthen your proposal by demonstrating the feasibility of your research. However, make sure that your pilot study is approved by your university before collecting any data.
Yes, you’re welcome to share this template in its original format (no editing allowed). If you want to post about it on your blog or social media, we kindly request that you reference this page as your source.
The research proposal template is provided as a Google Doc. You can download it in MS Word format or make a copy to your Google Drive. You’re also welcome to convert it to whatever format works best for you, such as LaTeX or PDF.
Yes, we do. We are constantly developing our collection of free resources to help students complete their dissertations and theses. You can view all of our template resources here .
Yes, you’re welcome to get in touch with us to discuss our private coaching services .
If you’re working on a research proposal, you’ll also want to check these out…
1-On-1 Private Coaching
Research Proposal Bootcamp
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COMMENTS
Make sure you can ask the critical what, who, and how questions of your research before you put pen to paper. Your research proposal should include (at least) 5 essential components : Title - provides the first taste of your research, in broad terms. Introduction - explains what you'll be researching in more detail.
Example research proposal #1: "A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management" Example research proposal #2: "Medical Students as Mediators of Change in Tobacco Use" Title page. Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes: The proposed title of your project; Your name; Your ...
A dissertation proposal describes the research you want to do: what it's about, how you'll conduct it, and why it's worthwhile. You will probably have to write a proposal before starting your dissertation as an undergraduate or postgraduate student. A dissertation proposal should generally include: An introduction to your topic and aims
The purpose of the research proposal (its job, so to speak) is to convince your research supervisor, committee or university that your research is suitable (for the requirements of the degree program) and manageable (given the time and resource constraints you will face). The most important word here is "convince" - in other words, your ...
While a thesis proposal is often only 3-7 pages long, a prospectus for your dissertation is usually much longer, with more detailed analysis. Dissertation proposals can be up to 25-30 pages in length. Note Sometimes, a research schedule or detailed budget may be necessary if you are pursuing funding for your work. Dissertation prospectus examples
Craft a convincing dissertation or thesis research proposal. Write a clear, compelling introduction chapter. Undertake a thorough review of the existing research and write up a literature review. Undertake your own research. Present and interpret your findings. Draw a conclusion and discuss the implications.
Learn how to write a rock-solid dissertation proposal, thesis proposal, or research proposal in this step by step tutorial, including practical examples. We...
A dissertation proposal should include: An introduction to your dissertation topic. Aims and objectives of your dissertation. A literature review of the current research undertaken in your field. Proposed methodology to be used. Implications of your research. Limitations of your research.
The dissertation proposal is a comprehensive statement on the extent and nature of the student's dissertation research interests. Students submit a draft of the proposal to their dissertation advisor between the end of the seventh and middle of the ninth quarters. The student must provide a written copy of the proposal to the faculty ...
Research proposal length. The length of a research proposal can vary quite a bit. A bachelor's or master's thesis proposal can be just a few pages, while proposals for PhD dissertations or research funding are usually much longer and more detailed. Your supervisor can help you determine the best length for your work.
The proposal, sometimes called the prospectus, is composed mainly of the Introduction, Research Questions, Literature Review, Research Significance and Methodology. It may also include a dissertation/thesis outline and a timeline for your proposed research. You will be able to reuse the proposal when you actually write the entire dissertation ...
The purpose of a dissertation proposal is to provide a snapshot of what your study involves. Usually, after submission of the proposal you will be assigned a supervisor who has some expertise in your field of study. You should receive feedback on the viability of the topic, how to focus the scope, research methods, and other issues you should ...
With the dissertation as the culminating work that leads to successful completion of a doctoral degree, the dissertation proposal or thesis proposal serves as the backbone of the research that will ultimately inform your research agenda in the dissertation stage and beyond. A well-crafted proposed study details the research problem, your ...
Research proposals, like all other kinds of academic writing, are written in a formal, objective tone. Keep in mind that being concise is a key component of academic writing; formal does not mean flowery. Adhere to the structure outlined above. Your reader knows how a research proposal is supposed to read and expects it to fit this template.
In this video, we walk you through two successful (approved) research proposals, one for a Master's-level project, and one for a PhD-level dissertation. We also start off by unpacking our free research proposal template and discussing the four core sections of a research proposal, so that you have a clear understanding of the basics before ...
How to Prepare a Dissertation Proposal: Suggestions for Students in Education and the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2005. How to Approach Writing a Research Proposal. Your professor may assign the task of writing a research proposal for the following reasons:
Research proposals. Your research proposal is a key part of your application. It tells us about the question you want to answer through your research. It is a chance for you to show your knowledge of the subject area and tell us about the methods you want to use. We use your research proposal to match you with a supervisor or team of supervisors.
A research proposal's purpose is to capture the evaluator's attention, demonstrate the study's potential benefits, and prove that it is a logical and consistent approach (Van Ekelenburg, 2010). ... It is also common for proposal titles to be very similar to your research question, hypothesis, or thesis statement (Locke et al., 2007). Abstract.
If you need help with writing a research question and finding the gap in literature, you can download my 11-page step-by-step template here which will walk y...
Style: If space allows, provide a clear project title. Structure your text - if allowed use section headings. Present the information in short paragraphs rather than a solid block of text. Write short sentences. If allowed, provide images/charts/diagrams to help break up the text.
Understanding the Components of a Research Proposal. A well-structured research proposal typically includes several key components. Each section serves a specific purpose and contributes to the overall coherence and persuasiveness of the proposal. 1. Title. The title of your research proposal should be concise, descriptive, and indicative of ...
Overview: 5 Proposal Writing Essentials. Understand your university's requirements and restrictions. Have a clearly articulated research problem. Clearly communicate the feasibility of your research. Pay very close attention to ethics policies. Focus on writing critically and concisely. 1. Understand the rules of the game.
It includes advice about selecting a topic, preparing a proposal, taking your oral exam and finishing your dissertation. It also includes accounts by many people about the process that each of them went through to find a thesis topic. Adding to the Collection. This collection of proposals becomes more useful with each new proposal that is added.
Discover the essential steps of the research process in this beginner's guide. Learn how to choose a research topic, identify gaps in literature, formulate research questions, design your study, and write a compelling research proposal. Perfect for students and researchers at any stage.
Research Proposal Assignment; Thesis Resources. Qualitative Research Template; Quantitative Research Template; Chapter 1 Introduction Part 1 Assignment. Your submission will include the following:
Research Proposal Template. The fastest (and smartest) way to craft a convincing proposal and get your dissertation or research project approved. Available in Google Doc, Word & PDF format. 4.9 star rating, 5000+ downloads. Download Now (Instant access)