Students don’t only have to deal with such papers as an essay or thesis, but also get tasks such as a research proposal. However, few university students really know how to write this type of paper. It’s time to share this valuable information with you.
What Is A Research Proposal?
A research proposal is not the same type of academic work as the other main works (research paper, report, thesis). A research proposal demonstrates what you will research, its significance, and the methods for conducting research.
A research proposal is simply a paper that helps provide a detailed idea for research on a particular topic. The research proposal usually covers the process from the beginning to the end of the research and can sometimes be used when requesting funding for a project. It can also be applied in the area of certifying the completion of certain parts of the research, or as a mandatory task before starting a thesis. Unlike other types of scientific papers, a research proposal contains the curriculum of scientists. From time to time, research sponsors ask for proposals on the topics for which they fund research.
12 Tips For Writing A Research Proposal
- Formulate the research topic correctly. If you don’t know how to do it right, ask a supervisor to help you.
- A research proposal includes a title page, annotation, introductory part, literature review, the method and value of research, conclusion, and bibliography.
- Compile a proper title. You must choose a suitable title for your planned research. This should be chosen with great attention. The title should be short but comprehensive, and clearly explain the subject of research. It may be changed during your research.
- Write a catchy annotation. The abstract should be short – nearly 300 words. It includes the question that should be researched, the rationale for the research, hypothesis, methods, and key conclusions. If you have difficulties with writing even at the stage of writing an annotation, you can always order cheap research papers, which can be extremely helpful for you.
- Spend enough time on writing the introduction. This part presents the necessary background information for the problem you are researching and explains why your research is important. Begin your introduction from a general outline of the area of research. This may be followed by a rationale for the proposed research. Indicate the problem which you research and the main goal of the research. Provide the rationale for the proposed research. Describe the main problems and sub-objectives that should be presented in your research. Include your hypothesis or theory. Mention how you are going to conduct the proposed research. Set the boundaries of the proposed research.
- Make a clear literature review. This part is an accurate overview of the research related to your topic which was conducted recently by other people. The literature review can also be combined with the introduction. A quality literature review should be presented as critical discussion that demonstrates the author’s knowledge of theories and approaches related to his or her research and an understanding of conflicting arguments. Compare different researchers’ views. Mention researchers who have come up to similar conclusions. Include spheres where researchers have different points of view. Criticize research methodology. Highlight outstanding studies. Highlight research gaps. Indicate the link between your proposed research and previous research. Point out how your project will contribute in general.
- Don’t forget about the research method. This section is important because it presents your plan of work and outlines the steps required to complete your research. There should be enough information in the research method section for readers to determine if your methodology is correct. Describe what type of research design you have chosen, such as a questionnaire, lab experiments, interviews, etc. Explain what selection procedures you plan to use and/or who will be involved in your project. Mention what type of instruments or questionnaires you are going to use, and describe how reliable and valid they are. Describe how you plan to conduct the research, what are your activities, and the total time period.
- Even if you haven’t actually done your research, you need to talk about the potential implications of your research. First show the originality of the research you proposed, and then explain why your research is important.
- Stick to the required length. If you are going to write a proposal for a bachelor’s thesis, you must prepare a few pages of printed text. In the proposals for PhD dissertations, the text will be much longer.
- Check the consistency of the paper.
- List all the literature you used or quoted in the bibliography section.
- The quality of the proposed research paper depends not only on the research you have made. Your writing style is one of the major factors in the quality of your paper. Your research proposal should be clear, consistent, and persuasive.
3 Tips For The Format Of A Research Proposal
Like any kind of student paper, it is important to draw up a research proposal following the rules:
- Cite your resources correctly. When referring to sources, it is not worth using a style guide, as it is an outdated method; instead, consider using free online citation generators: CitationMachine, BibMe, CiteFast, CiteThisforMe, RefMe, KnightCite.
- When filling out the title page, indicate the proposed topic of your project. Also, write the name of the author of the proposal (your name), as well as the supervisor’s name and his or her position. The institution and the department follow. Be sure to look at examples of other proposals or ask the supervisor for a sample.
- Applications are presented on a new page.
These rules for formatting students’ research proposals are important to keep in mind.
Writing a research proposal is only the first phase of a research project. Right after a research proposal is approved, you can proceed with the project. However, do not worry! Numerous students have struggled and surpassed writing a research proposal. And you will certainly succeed with this as well.
