writing a research proposal example

Sample Research Proposals Review the following sample research proposals.  As you review each, consider how each element in the proposal is described and explained by the researcher, consider what is included, in what order it is shared, and how elements are combined.  Also consider what is omitted, and/or what new elements are included that have not previously been studied in class.  Lastly, consider how the researcher composed the proposal with an audience in mind, and what elements of the proposal work to persuade that audience. As you review the proposals, select ones that are in your field of study AND ones that are of interest to you.  Keep track of and reflect on what you have using Reflection: Reviewing Sample Proposals.  This will help you to complete your Reflection Journal entry, where you will begin to make some decisions about what you found effective, what you liked, or what you have decided NOT to do in your own proposal.
Paul T. P. Wong, Ph.D., C.Psych. Research Director, Graduate Program in Counselling Psychology Trinity Western University Langley, BC, Canada Most students and beginning researchers do not fully understand what a research proposal means, nor do they understand its importance. To put it bluntly, one's research is only as a good as one's proposal. An ill-conceived proposal dooms the project even if it somehow gets through the Thesis Supervisory Committee. A high quality proposal, on the other hand, not only promises success for the project, but also impresses your Thesis Committee about your potential as a researcher. A research proposal is intended to convince others that you have a worthwhile research project and that you have the competence and the work-plan to complete it. Generally, a research proposal should contain all the key elements involved in the research process and include sufficient information for the readers to evaluate the proposed study. Regardless of your research area and the methodology you choose, all research proposals must address the following questions: What you plan to accomplish, why you want to do it and how you are going to do it. The proposal should have sufficient information to convince your readers that you have an important research idea, that you have a good grasp of the relevant literature and the major issues, and that your methodology is sound. The quality of your research proposal depends not only on the quality of your proposed project, but also on the quality of your proposal writing. A good research project may run the risk of rejection simply because the proposal is poorly written. Therefore, it pays if your writing is coherent, clear and compelling. This paper focuses on proposal writing rather than on the development of research ideas. Title: It should be concise and descriptive. For example, the phrase, An investigation of.
by Matthew McGranaghan This is a work in progress, intended to organize my thoughts on the process of formulating a proposal. If you have any thoughts on the contents, or on the notion of making this available to students, please share them with me. Thanks. Introduction This is a guide to writing M.A. research proposals. The same principles apply to dissertation proposals and to proposals to most funding agencies. It includes a model outline, but advisor, committee and funding agency expectations vary and your proposal will be a variation on this basic theme. Use these guidelines as a point of departure for discussions with your advisor. They may serve as a straw-man against which to build your understanding both of your project and of proposal writing. Proposal Writing Proposal writing is important to your pursuit of a graduate degree. The proposal is, in effect, an intellectual scholastic (not legal) contract between you and your committee. It specifies what you will do, how you will do it, and how you will interpret the results. In specifying what will be done it also gives criteria for determining whether it is done. In approving the proposal, your committee gives their best judgment that the approach to the research is reasonable and likely to yield the anticipated results. They are implicitly agreeing that they will accept the result as adequate for the purpose of granting a degree. (Of course you will have to write the thesis in acceptable form, and you probably will discover things in the course of your research that were not anticipated but which should be addressed in your thesis, but the minimum core intellectual contribution of your thesis will be set by the proposal.) Both parties benefit from an agreed upon plan. The objective in writing a proposal is to describe what you will do, why it should be done, how you will do it and what you expect will.
Beginning the Proposal Process As with writing a traditional research paper, research proposals are generally organized the same way throughout most social science disciplines. Proposals vary between ten and twenty pages in length. 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: What do I want to study Why is the topic important? How is it significant within the subject areas covered in my class? What problems will it help solve? How does it build upon [and hopefully go beyond] research already conducted on the topic? What exactly should I plan to do, and can I get it done in the time available? In the end, your research proposal should document your knowledge of the topic and highlight 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! In general your proposal 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. 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 sense your passion for the topic and be excited about the study's possible outcomes. Think about your introduction as a narrative written in one to three paragraphs that succinctly answers the following four questions: What is the central research problem? What is the topic of.
Writing assignment series These recommendations do not guarantee a successful research application! They are intended to help you conceptualize and prepare a research proposal, giving the process structure and a timetable for you to develop. Good luck! When applying for a research grant or a study scholarship, you are expected to hand in a detailed and precise description of study or research proposal as well as information on any previous study or research projects of particular relevance to a decision of award. The purpose of the proposal is to ensure that the candidates have done sufficient preliminary reading/research in the area of their interest that they have thought about the issues involved and are able to provide more than a broad description of the topic which they are planning to research. The proposal is not a fixed blueprint. One cannot predict one's findings beforehand or mechanically stick to an argument since the research will inevitably alter or even unseat one's initial expectations. There is no fixed formula for writing a proposal. However, your challenge is to convince members of the scientific community that you have identified a scientific problem have a theoretical background and a methodical approach to solve the problem within a realistic time frame and at reasonable expenses. With your research you will add a new aspect to the scientific discourse. First, consult your advisor on length, layout (typeface, line spacing, font, etc.), format, as well as a table of contents and page numbers. Members of the selection committee may have to read a large number of research proposals so good construction and legibility of your proposal is to your advantage. Title Page: Personal data (name, academic title, your position at your own university, date of birth, nationality, your contact information, institutional contact. (Working) Title of your planned.