A research proposal is an important document that presents a study project usually in terms of getting sponsorship. It deals with a particular issue, proposed methodology of research, an overview of the previous findings, and a means of data evaluation. It also includes the relevance of the work and a prognosis application of results.
How to write a research proposal? First, it is necessary to know the fundamental requirements of your academic institution as demands can vary from university to university. Generally, educational institutions of Canada have a set number of expected pages, a suggested format style and chapters to include, such as a cover page, abstract, introduction, problem statement, methodology, study design, resources, budget, and references.
Writing a research proposal is an essential way to get sponsorship and approval of a future study project. It should be formulated correctly, in a logical way, and show a deep overview of the relevant field of science. It is important for any research proposal to be credible, use well-thought out methodology designs and have a clear vision of its importance to science and society.
How to start a research proposal and to make it flawless? Here are some tips that will help you in this process.
How to Start a Research Proposal
If you want to create a research proposal that will be approved, start with the topic, subject, and the relevance of the study. Writing is not the first thing to do. In the beginning, do a lot of planning and reading sources.
Define the main issue you are addressing and how the values of your study are connected to each other. Formulate the topic in a comprehensive and clear way. It should be short but yet informative. Here’s a topic example: “Impact of Parents’ Divorce on Children’s School Performance.” To formulate your own topic in a proper way you may look through research paper topics online. Do not use words as “investigation” or “overview” in your topic.
Before you start with a research proposal outline, conduct a deep investigation on the state of knowledge in this field. You need to have knowledge of previously conducted experiments or studies to define and what methodology is the best for your problem. As soon as you’ve acquired deep knowledge, you may start with the research plan outline.
How to Write Each Part Of Research Proposal Correctly
Research paper proposal includes several required parts that should be formed in a proper way. Here are the main tips on how to write each chapter of your paper:
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Start with a title page. If there is no specified particular citation style, it is recommended to use APA. It features the topic, a “running head” with a shortened name of the paper, page number, your name, academic institution and co-researchers (if there are any).
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An abstract is featured in all research proposals. Basically, it is a short summary of the paper that takes up to 250 words. Here you need to disclose the issue, its relevance, proposed solution, and expected results.
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List of keywords. Choose several main terms and words that are crucial for the paper and include them in a list. These are the words that readers might look for to find your research.
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Table of contents. This section is not obligatory, especially for proposals featuring only several pages. However, if your paper is quite long, for instance, 15 pages, it is better to have a table of contents.
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Introduction. When writing Master’s thesis, include in the introduction the statement of the problem, the purpose, and significance of research, as well as an overview of theoretical and practical background information. The logical way is to start with the statement then move to the purpose, and finish with significance.
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Literature review chapter. It should not be formulated as a list of resources you’ve worked with, make it a full and readable story of your findings to put research in context. It should also lead to an understanding of the timeline of previous studies and the gap in current knowledge that will be fulfilled with this research.
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Methodology or proposed research. It is an essential part of our paper that needs to be detailed and specific. Basically, cover the methodology proposed, its relevance, and the ways of data analysis. Research proposal writers should specify whether it is a qualitative or a quantitative study, what experiments, theories or methods will be used, and what results are expected. Remember, that methodology should be applicable and repeatable, as it might be used by other scientists in the future. If you are working in social and behavioral sciences, make sure your methodology is ethical. Also, do not forget to clarify the limitations of a particular methodology design.
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List references, resources, and samples you might need to conduct research. If personnel is needed to proceed, include this as a separate aspect too.
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Prepare a budget for your study. Identify all costs needed and put a strong justification for it. A budget should be transparent and logical.
Creating a research proposal takes up to several months because one needs to conduct research, make a plan, and write a paper. It is sometimes hard to complete everything on your own, starting with a plan outline and up to the formatting. That’s why you can benefit from the help of professional writing service and highly-qualified writers. On our platform, you can find a necessary example of an outline or apply for writing services.