Features of a research proposal

The title of your proposal should clearly summarise what the research is about – it must be descriptive. Use key terms and be direct. Avoid lengthy titles with too much information.

The examples below are from research proposals. They incorporate key terms, and are direct and descriptive.

Introduce the topic that is the focus of your research proposal. Briefly explain the issue, problem, question or gap that your proposed research will address.

The introduction should give the reader a clear overview of the proposed research. It should briefly identify:

• the aims or objectives of the research
• the context or background of the topic
• the literature, concepts or theories that will frame the study
• the methodology or methods you plan to use
• the structure of the full proposal

You may draft the introduction early in the writing process to clarify your direction. However, it is often useful to revise or complete this section last, once the key elements of the proposal are clear.

A strong introduction gives the reader a concise map of the proposal and establishes why the research is worth considering.

Read the example from an IT research proposal. Click to find out more about the contents of a research proposal introduction.

You’ll need to provide the meaning of key terms that you refer to in your proposal, if this is relevant. Do not assume your readers are familiar with your topic; so write the proposal as if an unfamiliar but knowledgeable person is reading it. These terms may be integrated in your introduction or clarified in the literature review section. Some research proposals include a glossary of key terms and abbreviations in the Appendix section.

Definitions should be clear and concise, and may include subject-specific vocabulary. Definitions may be descriptive and contain a brief illustrative example.

Example 1

Source: Deidentified student proposal. (n.d.). Contribution to the science behind alternative energy utilization: Developing the fundamental chemistry behind solar energy conversion using Ni, Pd, Pt metal complexes and small molecule activation.  https://archive.urop.uci.edu/SURP/sample_proposals/SURP%20Physical%20Sciences%205.pdf

Example 2

Source: Deidentified student proposal. (n.d.). Melody recognition at varying frequency ranges in cochlear implant users. https://archive.urop.uci.edu/SURP/sample_proposals/SURP%20Medicine%202.pdf Accessed: 19/1/2023.

The literature review provides the scholarly context that positions your research. In academic research, it is always important to acknowledge previous research that is relevant to work that will be undertaken. It shows what has already been done in the field, the gaps in research, and the relationship between previous research and your proposed research. The synthesis of previous research literature informs the aims, questions and/or hypothesis of your research proposal.

It should help the reader understand why your proposed research is needed and how it builds on, extends or responds to existing scholarship.

Read the example from a medical research proposal. Click to find out more about the contents of a research proposal literature review.

Disciplinary traditions will determine whether a research proposal will identify research questions or a hypothesis. Both provide the focus of the intended research project. A research question identifies what the project seeks to investigate, understand or explain. A hypothesis makes a testable prediction about the relationship between variables. Both should be clearly connected to the research topic, literature review and proposed methodology.

In this section of the proposal, explicitly state the question(s) that the research will address. They need to be in the form of questions and they need to be specific and answerable through the method that you have proposed in your proposal. They should relate directly to the overall topic you have discussed and incorporate any concepts of variables that you have discussed earlier in the proposal.

The hypothesis that you wish to test should be a statement beginning with “That …”.

Source: Deidentified student proposal. (n.d.) Analysis of the function of FNDC3B during mammalian development. https://archive.urop.uci.edu/SURPsample Accessed: 19/1/2023

In this section, explain how you plan to conduct the research. This includes the overall research approach, the methods you will use to gather evidence, and the way you will analyse and interpret that evidence.

This section may also be called the methodology section. Methodology refers to the overall logic or design of the research. It explains why your chosen approach is appropriate for answering your research questions or testing your hypothesis.

You should also describe the specific methods you will use. Methods are the practical tools or procedures used to collect and analyse data. For example, you may use interviews, surveys, observations, experiments, case studies, textual analysis, visual analysis, archival research or statistical analysis.

In this section, explain:

• what data, evidence or source material you will collect
• how you will collect it
• how you will store or secure it
• how you will analyse and interpret it
• why these methods are suitable for your proposed research

Because the research has not yet been completed, this section is usually written mainly in the future tense. Modal verbs such as will, may and could can help you describe what you plan to do.

For example: “This study will use semi-structured interviews to gather participants’ perspectives. The interview data will be coded thematically to identify recurring patterns and themes.

Example 1

The paragraph below is from an IT research project about artificial intelligence. The researcher describes their methods in four numbered and subtitled paragraph sections. This is the first paragraph of the sequence.

• The use of future tense throughout the paragraph – “will” is italicised.
• The researcher describes how they will undertake this part of the research and the theoretical frameworks they’ll draw on. There is appropriate and accurate application of subject-specific vocabulary evident – this is bolded.

Source: Deidentified student proposal. (n.d.) Protohuman Project. https://archive.urop.uci.edu/SURP/sample_proposals/SURP%20ICS%201.pdf Accessed: 19/1/2023.

Example 2

The paragraph below is from a research proposal about policing social welfare initiatives. Note the naming of the methodological framework (ethnography), identification of participants and the step-by-step outline of what will be done. The researcher has included in-text citations to justify their research and align it with previous research. This is written in future tense.

• Key terms are bolded and future tense is italicised.

Source: Deidentified student proposal. (n.d.) Force to Service? Consumerist Identities in Contemporary Police Governance. https://fass.open.ac.uk/sites/fass.open.ac.uk/files/files/research/sample-research-proposal.pdf Accessed: 19/1/2023.

In this section, you give an overview of any ethical issues inherent in the research project. Outline how informed consent will be obtained from participants, any animal participant ethics, and how you’ll mitigate any potential ethical issues. Importantly, how you’ll describe how you’ll ensure privacy and secure the data. Additionally, you might state the benefits to the participants.

In many cases, the university will have ethics compliance forms for you to complete, including explanation and consent forms for participants and, in this section, you will acknowledge your completion of these.

In this section, outline any foreseeable problems or limitations, and how you might address these or how they might impact on the research.

Why is your study worth doing? In this section, justify your research. You can justify the study on the basis of knowledge gaps, doing the research in a different context than those explored previously, the methodological approach, or the theoretical contributions. This is your chance to pitch your research idea and state its potential contribution. A strong justification does more than state that the topic is interesting or important. It explains why the research is needed, who may benefit from it, and how it may contribute to knowledge, practice or understanding.

In this section, you list what resources you require to do the project. Do you need lab access? Do you require access to archives? Do you need to establish a budget? How will you procure the required resources?

Provide a working plan for the stages of carrying out and completing your research project. This may be a general overview or it may be date-specific. There are many tools available to help you plan a timetable.

Your timeline may be a general overview or it may include specific dates, depending on the requirements of the proposal.

Common stages in a research timeline may include:

• refining the research question
• completing the literature review
• confirming the methodology and methods
• applying for ethics approval, if required
• collecting data, evidence or source material
• analysing and interpreting findings
• drafting chapters or sections
• revising the project
• submitting the final work

You can present your proposed timeline in a visual format, such as a table, calendar, checklist or Gantt chart.

A strong timeline helps show that the proposed project is realistic, well organised and achievable within the available time and resources.

Depending on the purpose of your research proposal, you will need to include additional materials such as references, referees or appendices.

Most research proposals, grant applications and scholarship applications require a reference list. This should include the scholarly sources cited in your proposal and should follow the required referencing style.

Some applications may also ask you to identify referees. Referees are people who can comment on your academic ability, research experience, professional skills or capacity to complete the proposed project.

Appendices can be used to include supporting material that is relevant to the proposal but too detailed to include in the main body. These may include sample research instruments, interview questions, survey questions, consent forms, definitions of key terms, additional data, images, diagrams or technical information.

Only include appendices if they support the proposal and are clearly referred to in the main text.

Transitional words show the reader how one idea relates to the next. Common purposes include:

• Sequence and time – first, second, third; previously; simultaneously; in the interim; thereafter; throughout
• Addition and emphasis – also; furthermore; equally important; primarily
• Example – a case in point; by way of demonstration
• Comparison and contrast – alike; whereas; however; although; despite; on the contrary; an alternative is
• Result and purpose – consequently; thereby; in response to; with this object
• Conclusion or summary – on the whole; ultimately

Prepositional phrases position one idea in relation to another. They're useful for:

• Showing agreement or alignment – in accordance with; in conformity with; in keeping with; in common with
• Showing contrast – in contrast with; the opposite of; resistance to
• Stating purpose – for the purpose of; with a view to
• Referring to something – with reference to; with regard to; in that regard; in respect of; in view of; in consideration of; without regard for
• Indicating extent – to a large extent; to some extent; in part; for the most part; within the scope of