How to Write a Research Proposal
Once you’re in college and really getting into academic writing , you may not recognize all the kinds of assignments you’re asked to complete. You know what an essay is, and you know how to respond to readings—but when you hear your professor mention a research proposal or a literature review, your mind might do a double take.
Don’t worry; we’ve got you. Boiled down to its core, a research proposal is simply a short piece of writing that details exactly what you’ll be covering in a larger research project. You’ll likely be required to write one for your thesis , and if you choose to continue in academia after earning your bachelor’s degree, you’ll be writing research proposals for your master’s thesis, your dissertation, and all other research you conduct. By then, you’ll be a research proposal pro. But for now, we’ll answer all your questions and help you confidently write your first one.
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What is the goal of a research proposal?
In a research proposal, the goal is to present the author’s plan for the research they intend to conduct. In some cases, part of this goal is to secure funding for said research. In others, it’s to have the research approved by the author’s supervisor or department so they can move forward with it. In some cases, a research proposal is a required part of a graduate school application. In every one of these circumstances, research proposals follow the same structure.
In a research proposal, the author demonstrates how and why their research is relevant to their field. They demonstrate that the work is necessary to the following:
- Filling a gap in the existing body of research on their subject
- Underscoring existing research on their subject, and/or
- Adding new, original knowledge to the academic community’s existing understanding of their subject
A research proposal also demonstrates that the author is capable of conducting this research and contributing to the current state of their field in a meaningful way. To do this, your research proposal needs to discuss your academic background and credentials as well as demonstrate that your proposed ideas have academic merit.
But demonstrating your research’s validity and your personal capability to carry it out isn’t enough to get your research proposal approved. Your research proposal also has to cover these things:
- The research methodology you plan to use
- The tools and procedures you will use to collect, analyze, and interpret the data you collect
- An explanation of how your research fits the budget and other constraints that come with conducting it through your institution, department, or academic program
If you’ve already read our post on literature reviews , you may be thinking that a research proposal sounds pretty similar. They’re more than just similar, though—a literature review is part of a research proposal. It’s the section that covers which sources you’re using, how you’re using them, and why they’re relevant. Think of a literature review as a mini-research proposal that fits into your larger, main proposal.
How long should a research proposal be?
Generally, research proposals for bachelor’s and master’s theses are a few pages long. Research proposals for meatier projects, like Ph.D. dissertations and funding requests, are often longer and far more detailed. A research proposal’s goal is to clearly outline exactly what your research will entail and accomplish, so including the proposal’s word count or page count isn’t nearly as important as it is to ensure that all the necessary elements and content are present.
Research proposal structure
A research proposal follows a fairly straightforward structure. In order to achieve the goals described in the previous section, nearly all research proposals include the following sections:
Introduction
Your introduction achieves a few goals:
- Introduces your topic
- States your problem statement and the questions your research aims to answer
- Provides context for your research
In a research proposal, an introduction can be a few paragraphs long. It should be concise, but don’t feel like you need to cram all of your information into one paragraph.
In some cases, you need to include an abstract and/or a table of contents in your research proposal. These are included just before the introduction.
Background significance
This is where you explain why your research is necessary and how it relates to established research in your field. Your work might complement existing research, strengthen it, or even challenge it—no matter how your work will “play with” other researchers’ work, you need to express it in detail in your research proposal.
This is also the section where you clearly define the existing problems your research will address. By doing this, you’re explaining why your work is necessary—in other words, this is where you answer the reader’s “so what?”
In your background significance section, you’ll also outline how you’ll conduct your research. If necessary, note which related questions and issues you won’t be covering in your research.
Literature review
In your literature review , you introduce all the sources you plan to use in your research. This includes landmark studies and their data, books, and scholarly articles. A literature review isn’t merely a list of sources (that’s what your bibliography is for); a literature review delves into the collection of sources you chose and explains how you’re using them in your research.
Research design, methods, and schedule
Following your research review, you’ll discuss your research plans. In this section, make sure you cover these aspects:
- The type of research you will do. Are you conducting qualitative or quantitative research? Are you collecting original data or working with data collected by other researchers?
- Whether you’re doing experimental, correlational, or descriptive research
- The data you’re working with. For example, if you’re conducting research in the social sciences, you’ll need to describe the population you’re studying. You’ll also need to cover how you’ll select your subjects and how you’ll collect data from them.
- The tools you’ll use to collect data. Will you be running experiments? Conducting surveys? Observing phenomena? Note all data collection methods here along with why they’re effective methods for your specific research.
Beyond a comprehensive look at your research itself, you’ll also need to include:
- Your research timeline
- Your research budget
- Any potential obstacles you foresee and your plan for handling them
Suppositions and implications
Although you can’t know your research’s results until you’ve actually done the work, you should be going into the project with a clear idea of how your work will contribute to your field. This section is perhaps the most critical to your research proposal’s argument because it expresses exactly why your research is necessary.
In this section, make sure you cover the following:
- Any ways your work can challenge existing theories and assumptions in your field
- How your work will create the foundation for future research
- The practical value your findings will provide to practitioners, educators, and other academics in your field
- The problems your work can potentially help to fix
- Policies that could be impacted by your findings
- How your findings can be implemented in academia or other settings and how this will improve or otherwise transform these settings
In other words, this section isn’t about stating the specific results you expect. Rather, it’s where you state how your findings will be valuable.
This is where you wrap it all up. Your conclusion section, just like your conclusion paragraph for an essay , briefly summarizes your research proposal and reinforces your research’s stated purpose.
Bibliography
Yes, you need to write a bibliography in addition to your literature review. Unlike your literature review, where you explained the relevance of the sources you chose and in some cases, challenged them, your bibliography simply lists your sources and their authors.
The way you write a citation depends on the style guide you’re using. The three most common style guides for academics are MLA , APA , and Chicago , and each has its own particular rules and requirements. Keep in mind that each formatting style has specific guidelines for citing just about any kind of source, including photos , websites , speeches , and YouTube videos .
Sometimes, a full bibliography is not needed. When this is the case, you can include a references list, which is simply a scaled-down list of all the sources you cited in your work. If you’re not sure which to write, ask your supervisor.
Here’s a tip: Grammarly’s Citation Generator ensures your essays have flawless citations and no plagiarism. Try it for citing journal articles in MLA , APA , and Chicago styles.
How to write a research proposal
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. It’s crucial that you present your research proposal in a clear, logical way. Every question the reader has while reading your proposal should be answered by the final section.
Editing and proofreading a research proposal
When you’re writing a research proposal, follow the same six-step writing process you follow with every other kind of writing you do.
After you’ve got a first draft written, take some time to let it “cool off” before you start proofreading . By doing this, you’re making it easier for yourself to catch mistakes and gaps in your writing.
Common mistakes to avoid when writing a research proposal
When you’re writing a research proposal, avoid these common pitfalls:
Being too wordy
As we said earlier, formal does not mean flowery. In fact, you should aim to keep your writing as brief and to-the-point as possible. The more economically you can express your purpose and goal, the better.
Failing to cite relevant sources
When you’re conducting research, you’re adding to the existing body of knowledge on the subject you’re covering. Your research proposal should reference one or more of the landmark research pieces in your field and connect your work to these works in some way. This doesn’t just communicate your work’s relevance—it also demonstrates your familiarity with the field.
Focusing too much on minor issues
There are probably a lot of great reasons why your research is necessary. These reasons don’t all need to be in your research proposal. In fact, including too many questions and issues in your research proposal can detract from your central purpose, weakening the proposal. Save the minor issues for your research paper itself and cover only the major, key issues you aim to tackle in your proposal.
Failing to make a strong argument for your research
This is perhaps the easiest way to undermine your proposal because it’s far more subjective than the others. A research proposal is, in essence, a piece of persuasive writing . That means that although you’re presenting your proposal in an objective, academic way, the goal is to get the reader to say “yes” to your work.
This is true in every case, whether your reader is your supervisor, your department head, a graduate school admissions board, a private or government-backed funding provider, or the editor at a journal in which you’d like to publish your work.
Polish your writing into a stellar proposal
When you’re asking for approval to conduct research—especially when there’s funding involved—you need to be nothing less than 100 percent confident in your proposal. If your research proposal has spelling or grammatical mistakes, an inconsistent or inappropriate tone, or even just awkward phrasing, those will undermine your credibility.
Make sure your research proposal shines by using Grammarly to catch all of those issues. Even if you think you caught all of them while you were editing, it’s critical to double-check your work. Your research deserves the best proposal possible, and Grammarly can help you make that happen.
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Sample Academic Proposals
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Examples of research proposals
How to write your research proposal, with examples of good proposals.
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.
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:
- Highlight how it is original or significant
- Explain how it will develop or challenge current knowledge of your subject
- Identify the importance of your research
- Show why you are the right person to do this research
- Research Proposal Example 1 (DOC, 49kB)
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- Research Proposal Example 3 (DOC, 55.5kB)
- Research Proposal Example 4 (DOC, 49.5kB)
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Writing Research Proposal with Example
A proposal sample can be quite helpful for students who are unaware of the tenets of a research paper. Writers at AssignmentPay.com further explain about research proposals. With a template/sample, they can easily understand the format; thus, producing a quality essay.
Why Do You Need to Use Examples of Research Proposals?
A research proposal sample that has been previously downloaded may help the student by giving information such as:
- The paper format. You will grasp enough knowledge about how the paper should be formatted without making any flimsy errors and how many pages and words should be in the paper like 1000 word essay .
- Learning a lot about crucial parts of an essay. If one is unaware of these parts, they are capable of leaving them out during the writing process.
- Ensuring that students do not make the same mistakes
List of 11 Research Proposal Examples
Below is a list of the different ways and examples of writing research proposals. If you use any of the following formats, the professor will be satisfied. They include:
Example 10:
Example 11:.
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Research Proposal Outline
- Introduction- Ensure that you insert a hook to capture the audience's attention. Talk about the primary problem, the methodology, and the importance of the research. The main aim to persuade your reader.
- Background- At this point, you should give an in-depth analysis of the problem. It follows a specific structure, which does not resemble a research paper. Give more details about the importance of your study.
- Review of literature/sources- Show that you will use certain sources/literature to complete the research paper. With an outline, your final product will be well organized and clearly structured.
- Research methods- One of the crucial parts of your study, which ensure that you develop a quality research paper. These methods—qualitative, quantitative, or mixed—are useful in driving the writing process in the correct direction.
- Assumptions and consequences- Write about your study’s impact, any helpful suggestions as well as changes required in the research. Here, ensure that you also offer information about the study’s effects as well as the significance of its results.
- Conclusion- Make it brief and precise. You should also talk about the importance of the research. Ensure you write some sentences explaining how individuals benefit from your study.
15 Interesting Topic Ideas for Your Research Proposal
Here are some examples of research proposal topics:
- How has racism continued to manifest itself in America? Apart from African-Americans, which other groups are discriminated based on their race?
- Is there any relationship between politics, religion, and society?
- How does Philip Zimbardo’s study influence the issue of imprisonment?
- How is racial segregation delineated in the film, “The Help”?
- Couple counseling and healthy relationships
- Does feminism mean equal opportunities for men, as well?
- The Oedipus complex in Shakespearean tragedies
- Where do the Aborigines in Australia reside?
- How did abortion play out in Rose v. Wade case?
- Are all romantic relationships driven by power? Is there a balance?
- Same-sex couples and procreation
- Is Christianity better than Islam?
- The debate between God and Science
- Discuss personality disorders in the 2016 film, "Split."
- Is technology robbing our youth? Have individuals become brain-dead?
Remember that a research proposal is not an essay. Before writing your conclusion, proofread and ensure that you have followed the suitable format. It is only supposed to act as a framework/guide to writing about any of your topics. If you are having difficulties in writing a research proposal, you can download some online samples for guidance. There are different examples and formats of research proposals; thus; you should choose one that is most suitable for your research. However, understand that some aspects, such as the introduction, data collection, and references, are constant elements in the research proposal. Others—such as Justification—are subject to change if you prefer to write about the study's significance instead. By providing research proposal examples paper writing services, we strive to give students a unique opportunity to pay for assignment and therefore improve their grades and re-enter the flow of calm life.
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Sample Proposal Argument
Now that you have had the chance to learn about writing a proposal argument, it’s time to see what one might look like. Below, you’ll see a sample proposal argumentative essay written using APA 7 th edition formatting guidelines.
Click the image below to open a PDF of the sample paper.
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How To Write A Research Paper
Research Paper Example
Research Paper Example - Examples for Different Formats
Published on: Jun 12, 2021
Last updated on: Jan 3, 2023
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Writing a research paper is the most challenging task in a student’s academic life. Students face similar writing process hardships, whether the research paper is to be written for high school or college.
A research paper is a writing type in which a detailed analysis, interpretation, and evaluation are made on the topic. It only requires not only time but also effort and skills to be drafted correctly.
If you are working on your research paper for the first time, here is a collection of examples that you will need to understand the paper’s format and how its different parts are drafted. Continue reading the article to get free research paper examples.
Research Paper Example for Different Formats
When writing a research paper, it is essential to know which format to use to structure your content. Depending on the requirements of the institution, there are mainly four format styles in which a writer drafts a research paper:
Let’s look into each format in detail to understand the fundamental differences and similarities.
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Research Paper Example APA
If your instructor asks you to provide a research paper in an APA format, go through the example given below and understand the basic structure. Make sure to follow the format throughout the paper.
APA Research Paper Sample (PDF)
Research Paper Example MLA
Another widespread research paper format is MLA. A few institutes require this format style as well for your research paper. Look at the example provided of this format style to learn the basics.
MLA Research Paper Sample (PDF)
Research Paper Example Chicago
Unlike MLA and APA styles, Chicago is not very common. Very few institutions require this formatting style research paper, but it is essential to learn it. Look at the example given below to understand the formatting of the content and citations in the research paper.
Chicago Research Paper Sample (PDF)
Research Paper Example Harvard
Learn how a research paper through Harvard formatting style is written through this example. Carefully examine how the cover page and other pages are structured.
Harvard Research Paper Sample (PDF)
Examples for Different Research Paper Parts
A research paper is based on different parts. Each part plays a significant role in the overall success of the paper. So each chapter of the paper must be drafted correctly according to a format and structure.
Below are examples of how different sections of the research paper are drafted.
Research Proposal Example
A research proposal is a plan that describes what you will investigate, its significance, and how you will conduct the study.
Research Proposal Sample (PDF)
Abstract Research Paper Example
An abstract is an executive summary of the research paper that includes the purpose of the research, the design of the study, and significant research findings.
It is a small section that is based on a few paragraphs. Following is an example of the abstract to help you draft yours professionally.
Abstract Research Paper Sample (PDF)
Literature Review Research Paper Example
A literature review in a research paper is a comprehensive summary of the previous research on your topic. It studies sources like books, articles, journals, and papers on the relevant research problem to form the basis of the new research.
Writing this section of the research paper perfectly is as important as any part of it.
Literature Review in Research Sample (PDF)
Methods Section of Research Paper Example
The method section comes after the introduction of the research paper that presents the process of collecting data. Basically, in this section, a researcher presents the details of how your research was conducted.
Methods Section in Research Sample (PDF)
Research Paper Conclusion Example
The conclusion is the last part of your research paper that sums up the writer’s discussion for the audience and leaves an impression. This is how it should be drafted:
Research Paper Conclusion Sample (PDF)
Research Paper Examples for Different Fields
The research papers are not limited to a particular field. They can be written for any discipline or subject that needs a detailed study.
In the following section, various research paper examples are given to show how they are drafted for different subjects.
Science Research Paper Example
Are you a science student that has to conduct research? Here is an example for you to draft a compelling research paper for the field of science.
Science Research Paper Sample (PDF)
History Research Paper Example
Conducting research and drafting a paper is not only bound to science subjects. Other subjects like history and arts require a research paper to be written as well. Observe how research papers related to history are drafted.
History Research Paper Sample (PDF)
Psychology Research Paper Example
If you are a psychology student, look into the example provided in the research paper to help you draft yours professionally.
Psychology Research Paper Sample (PDF)
Research Paper Example for Different Levels
Writing a research paper is based on a list of elements. If the writer is not aware of the basic elements, the process of writing the paper will become daunting. Start writing your research paper taking the following steps:
- Choose a topic
- Form a strong thesis statement
- Conduct research
- Develop a research paper outline
Once you have a plan in your hand, the actual writing procedure will become a piece of cake for you.
No matter which level you are writing a research paper for, it has to be well structured and written to guarantee you better grades.
If you are a college or a high school student, the examples in the following section will be of great help.
Research Paper Outline (PDF)
Research Paper Example for College
Pay attention to the research paper example provided below. If you are a college student, this sample will help you understand how a winning paper is written.
College Research Paper Sample (PDF)
Research Paper Example for High School
Expert writers of CollegeEssay.org have provided an excellent example of a research paper for high school students. If you are struggling to draft an exceptional paper, go through the example provided.
High School Research Paper Sample (PDF)
Examples are essential when it comes to academic assignments. If you are a student and aim to achieve good grades in your assignments, it is suggested to get help from CollegeEssay.org .
We are the best writing company that helps students by providing free samples and writing assistance. Professional writers have your back, whether you are looking for guidance in writing a lab report, college essay , or research paper.
Simply hire a writer by placing your order at the most reasonable price.
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Writing a Scientific Research Project Proposal
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Table of Contents
The importance of a well-written research proposal cannot be underestimated. Your research really is only as good as your proposal. A poorly written, or poorly conceived research proposal will doom even an otherwise worthy project. On the other hand, a well-written, high-quality proposal will increase your chances for success.
In this article, we’ll outline the basics of writing an effective scientific research proposal, including the differences between research proposals, grants and cover letters. We’ll also touch on common mistakes made when submitting research proposals, as well as a simple example or template that you can follow.
What is a scientific research proposal?
The main purpose of a scientific research proposal is to convince your audience that your project is worthwhile, and that you have the expertise and wherewithal to complete it. The elements of an effective research proposal mirror those of the research process itself, which we’ll outline below. Essentially, the research proposal should include enough information for the reader to determine if your proposed study is worth pursuing.
It is not an uncommon misunderstanding to think that a research proposal and a cover letter are the same things. However, they are different. The main difference between a research proposal vs cover letter content is distinct. Whereas the research proposal summarizes the proposal for future research, the cover letter connects you to the research, and how you are the right person to complete the proposed research.
There is also sometimes confusion around a research proposal vs grant application. Whereas a research proposal is a statement of intent, related to answering a research question, a grant application is a specific request for funding to complete the research proposed. Of course, there are elements of overlap between the two documents; it’s the purpose of the document that defines one or the other.
Scientific Research Proposal Format
Although there is no one way to write a scientific research proposal, there are specific guidelines. A lot depends on which journal you’re submitting your research proposal to, so you may need to follow their scientific research proposal template.
In general, however, there are fairly universal sections to every scientific research proposal. These include:
- Title: Make sure the title of your proposal is descriptive and concise. Make it catch and informative at the same time, avoiding dry phrases like, “An investigation…” Your title should pique the interest of the reader.
- Abstract: This is a brief (300-500 words) summary that includes the research question, your rationale for the study, and any applicable hypothesis. You should also include a brief description of your methodology, including procedures, samples, instruments, etc.
- Introduction: The opening paragraph of your research proposal is, perhaps, the most important. Here you want to introduce the research problem in a creative way, and demonstrate your understanding of the need for the research. You want the reader to think that your proposed research is current, important and relevant.
- Background: Include a brief history of the topic and link it to a contemporary context to show its relevance for today. Identify key researchers and institutions also looking at the problem
- Literature Review: This is the section that may take the longest amount of time to assemble. Here you want to synthesize prior research, and place your proposed research into the larger picture of what’s been studied in the past. You want to show your reader that your work is original, and adds to the current knowledge.
- Research Design and Methodology: This section should be very clearly and logically written and organized. You are letting your reader know that you know what you are going to do, and how. The reader should feel confident that you have the skills and knowledge needed to get the project done.
- Preliminary Implications: Here you’ll be outlining how you anticipate your research will extend current knowledge in your field. You might also want to discuss how your findings will impact future research needs.
- Conclusion: This section reinforces the significance and importance of your proposed research, and summarizes the entire proposal.
- References/Citations: Of course, you need to include a full and accurate list of any and all sources you used to write your research proposal.
Common Mistakes in Writing a Scientific Research Project Proposal
Remember, the best research proposal can be rejected if it’s not well written or is ill-conceived. The most common mistakes made include:
- Not providing the proper context for your research question or the problem
- Failing to reference landmark/key studies
- Losing focus of the research question or problem
- Not accurately presenting contributions by other researchers and institutions
- Incompletely developing a persuasive argument for the research that is being proposed
- Misplaced attention on minor points and/or not enough detail on major issues
- Sloppy, low-quality writing without effective logic and flow
- Incorrect or lapses in references and citations, and/or references not in proper format
- The proposal is too long – or too short
Scientific Research Proposal Example
There are countless examples that you can find for successful research proposals. In addition, you can also find examples of unsuccessful research proposals. Search for successful research proposals in your field, and even for your target journal, to get a good idea on what specifically your audience may be looking for.
While there’s no one example that will show you everything you need to know, looking at a few will give you a good idea of what you need to include in your own research proposal. Talk, also, to colleagues in your field, especially if you are a student or a new researcher. We can often learn from the mistakes of others. The more prepared and knowledgeable you are prior to writing your research proposal, the more likely you are to succeed.
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One of the top reasons scientific research proposals are rejected is due to poor logic and flow. Check out our Language Editing Services to ensure a great proposal , that’s clear and concise, and properly referenced. Check our video for more information, and get started today.
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221 Research Proposal examples are found
Censorship of Internet Users and Online Protestors in China, Research Proposal Example
Research Questions: How do the censorship policies of the CCP affect the general activities of Chinese citizens on social media? China is well-known for its censorship policies, which extend to [...]
Pages: 6
Words: 1720
Electronic Cigarettes vs Commercial Cigarettes, Research Proposal Example
Abstract The goal to reduce the amount of people addicted to smoking has been a topic of concern. The commercial market has introduced a new type of nicotine delivery method [...]
Pages: 9
Words: 2600
Examining Student Satisfaction With Wholly Online Learning, Research Proposal Example
Various authors have since come up with significant seminal researches that seek to explore the intrigues inherent in the online education system. Allen and Seaman (2013) analysis, for example, examined [...]
Pages: 5
Words: 1340
The Incidence of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, Research Proposal Example
Abstract It is imperative for small and large organizations alike to follow a code of ethical practices that dictate proper action regarding interactions both in the workplace and with members [...]
Pages: 10
Words: 2663
To What Extent Should Indigenous Entrepreneurship Be Diversified in Jamaica? Research Proposal Example
Topic To what extent should indigenous entrepreneurship be diversified in Jamaica? Context/Background Many businesses in Jamaica are owned by foreign nationals. This is an economic concern because foreign ownership confers [...]
Pages: 4
Words: 1064
How Innovation Can Help Business and Be a Factor for Growth, Research Proposal Example
This research proposal is based on the innovation of marketing products in business. The science of innovation, which is linked to the knowledge base, is not in general developed by [...]
Pages: 12
Words: 3382
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A Sample of Research Proposal Outlines and Papers
This is an important part of the academic process. The research proposal that you write will detail for your supervisor not only what it is that you plan to research, but also how you intend to conduct that research. This gives them the opportunity to guide you not only to a better topic, but also to better methods of research. When research is conducted correctly, it is more difficult to refute from an academic standpoint, and your case will be much stronger for this refinement of your research method. You can check out the Udemy course How to Write an Effective Research Paper for more information on the paper itself. Udemy’s A+ Research Paper in Biology course can also be a great option, if this is your field of study. But first, let’s look at some pointers on crafting a strong research proposal.
What is Included in the Research Proposal
There are several things that you must include in a research proposal in order to give your supervisor a good understanding of the approach that you want to take in your research. First and foremost, you must discuss the exact topic that you want to cover in your research paper. This will include a general background of the subject, as well as a review of the material you are conducting research on if it is a book or a body of art.
Though you have probably already spent some time learning how to write a thesis sentence, this is actually not what you want to do with your research proposal. Remember, you are not setting out to conduct research in order to prove a point. When discussing the topic, you must be fair, balanced, and open-minded. You must leave room in this part of the research proposal for flexibility.
Discuss the topic in terms of what it is that you are curious about. Touch on what intrigues you. This leads in to the next part of your research proposal – discussing why it is that you have chosen this topic, and what you believe your field of study could stand to benefit from the research that you will be conducting.
Remember not to think in the abstract. Try to think of concrete ways that your research could potentially have an immediate impact. Even if you are not conducting research on a hard science such as biology this still holds true. For example, in a literary research paper you can still discuss the impact your work will have on people’s understanding and interpretations of certain types of subject matter or literary criticism.
When this is done, you will move into a discussion of the methodology that you plan to use in order to conduct your research. If you will be conducting your own research, such as through a survey or a scientific experiment, you will need to outline the exact process that you plan to use.
For other fields of study, this may include a discussion of the types of materials that you plan to include in your research such as other novels, primary sources such as letters or interviews. All of this will help your supervisor determine that you have developed a sound design for your research, and will give them the opportunity to point out any flaws that may exist in your design.
Finally, you will discuss how you plan to analyze the results. If you have developed and presented a hypothesis, you may discuss the kinds of results that would confirm it as well as the results that would disprove it. You may also include the expected outcome of your research in this section. However, it bears repeating that you should leave room for flexibility if it turns out that your research led to a different outcome than you expected.
If you have already begun to look at potential sources for your research, you may conclude your research proposal with a bibliography or an annotated bibliography. This will give your advisor a good idea of the materials you plan to use and can help them steer you in the right direction if there are any issues with the research materials that you have chosen.
Sample Research Proposal
Ecocriticism is a relatively new but important area of literary criticism that could potentially have a significant impact on people’s attitudes toward environmental issues on a global scale. Literature such as Damian Gray’s Yellow Sands is important in impacting awareness of global issues. However, environmental concerns are still largely underrepresented in most contemporary literature.
I propose a detailed analysis of environment and environmental issues in five selected texts. Because I am focusing primarily on environmentally conscious literature as a contemporary movement, these will all be texts written within the past decade. In addition to these five texts, I will conduct research using a survey of randomly selected college students to determine A. Whether they have read any of the five texts, B. The amount of contemporary literature that they have read in the past year and C. Whether they felt that environment or environmental issues were addressed in said literature.
I will also be conducting research on the efficacy of literature to spur social awareness and movements as a whole, with a particular focus on feminism. If literature can be proven to have played a strong role in driving social awareness of this issue in the past, it could potentially prove that literature would be similarly effective in driving up awareness of environmental concerns.
I believe that the combination of past precedent along with my findings from the survey I have conducted, along with material from Gray’s Yellow Sands, may help to prove that environmental topics in literature must be addressed. As of yet, there is still a large gap in the literary canon when it comes to explicitly environmental texts, and little research examining the effect of socially driven literature on public attitudes toward environmentalism.
Moving Forward With Your Research Proposal
This sample is a very basic version of a research proposal. It can be a challenge to write, but it’s necessary to learn how to craft one early on in your academic career, as it is the basis of other types of proposals, such as the thesis proposal , that many students will eventually have to learn. The one that you need to write may be much more complex depending on your area of study. You may have to includes descriptions of everything from the exact methodologies you would plan to use in scientific experiments to the ways in which you intend to present your research, such as through charts and graphs.
Keep in mind that even though this is just a proposal, it is just as important to be as clear and concise as possible in your writing. Check out Udemy’s Quality Paragraph and Essay Writing course to improve your writing skills overall. Another course you may consider is Udemy’s Academic Writing course , which covers a number of topics that can help you to boost your writing skills.
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Research Paper Guide
Writing Research Proposal
Last updated on: Feb 8, 2023
Writing a Research Proposal - Outline, Format, and Examples
By: Nathan D.
12 min read
Reviewed By: Rylee W.
Published on: May 21, 2019
Worried that you will not be able to write a good research proposal? It is a common dilemma, and no student could escape it. A research proposal is a document that outlines the scope, objectives, methods, and timeline of your proposed project.
It needs to be approved before you can submit the final research paper or apply for funding. It is an essential part of research paper writing and one cannot move forward with his research without it.
In this post, we have explained the different steps involved in writing a great research proposal. This will help you in formulating your proposal and increasing the chances of acceptance.
Read on to know more about it.
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What is a Research Proposal?
As per the research proposal definition, it is a concise summary of your research paper. It introduces the general idea of your research by highlighting the questions and issues you are going to address in your paper.
For writing a good and ‘acceptance worthy’ proposal, demonstrating the uniqueness and worthiness of your research paper is important.
Below is a detailed definition that will help you understand it better.
‘A research proposal is a document that is written to present and justify your interest and need for researching a particular topic.’
Similarly, a good proposal must highlight the benefits and outcomes of the proposed study, supported by persuasive evidence.
How to Create a Research Proposal Outline?
Sometimes students don’t realize how important a research paper proposal is and end up putting all the information together without following the basic outline or thinking this through.
To summarize its importance, if you want a successful research project, you need to write a great proposal for it. Without a good proposal, you will not be able to communicate the essence of your research properly. This may lead to the rejection of your proposal.
Before starting with the outline, you need to understand the basic components. A clear outline is important when it comes to presenting the literature review and writing the entire paper.
Here is a basic format you can follow while writing your proposal.
- Introduction
- Literature Review
- Research Methodology
It might seem like a dreadful task and especially for the students who are new to this. It requires good writing as well as research skills.
Here is a sample template to further explain the outline.
Research Proposal Template
RESEARCH PROPOSAL TEMPLATE
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How to Start a Research Proposal?
Many students think that starting a research proposal is the same as creating an outline. No, it is not and knowing how to start with your research proposal on the right track is like getting done with half of it.
Below are the important steps to start a research proposal.
- Begin working on it as soon as possible.
- Conduct thorough and in-depth research.
- Instead of forming the title first, find the main theme or problem that you would like to discuss in your research.
- Collect and save the research information with proper and complete citation and reference information.
- Divide the collected details into the sections of the proposal and stick to them.
Writing a research proposal is tricky, but when you start it beforehand then you will have enough time to understand your main topic’s different aspects.
Procrastinating and leaving it for the last few days before submission will only land you in trouble.
How to Write a Research Proposal
Now you have the basic outline you can follow. Let’s discuss how to write it by following the format mentioned above.
1. Choose the Title Carefully
Your proposal title should be concise and clear to indicate your research question. Your readers should know what to expect in the paper after reading the title. Avoid writing titles in a general perspective or phrases like “An investigation of …” or “A review of …” etc. Make it concise and well defined.
2. Add a Concise Abstract
‘How to write an abstract for a research proposal?’
The abstract is a short summary that is around 100-250 words. The abstract should include the research question, hypothesis of your research (if there is any), the research methodology, and findings.
If the proposal is detailed, it will require a section of the contents after the abstract. For it, knowing how to write an abstract will be helpful and can save you from making any blunders.
3. Add a Strong Introduction
You need to start with a strong introduction. The introduction is written to provide a background or context related to your research problem. It is important to frame the research question while writing the proposal.
Your entire proposal will revolve around your research question, and this includes the proposal’s introduction also. If the research question is not specific and has a very general literature review, then your proposal might seem insignificant. A specific research question will make your research focused on.
Start the introduction with a general statement related to the problem area you are focusing on and justify your study.
The introduction usually covers the following elements.
- What is the purpose of your research or study?
- Mention the background information and significance before you introduce your research question.
- Introduce your research question in a way that its significance is highlighted by setting the stage for it.
- Briefly mention the issues that you are going to discuss and highlight in your study.
- Make sure that you identify the independent and dependent variables in the title of your study.
- If there is a hypothesis or a theory related to your research, state it in the introduction.
Have a very clear and concise idea about your research, and make sure that you do not deviate from the main research question. A clear idea will help you craft a perfect thesis. Here is how you can create a crisp and interesting thesis introduction along with a basic guideline.
4. Clarify the Research Objectives
Your research objectives will explain what the writer is trying to achieve. Moreover, these aims and objectives must be achievable. It means that it must be framed according to the:
- Available time
- Infrastructure
- Other important resources.
However, it is beneficial to read all the developments in the field and find research gaps before deciding your objective. It will help you come up with suitable aims for your projects.
5. Add Relevant Literature Review
A separate section dedicated to the literature review will allow you to conduct extensive background research and support your research question with credible sources and research.
The following are the basic purposes of the literature review.
- To give reference to the researchers whose study has been a part of your research.
- To help you construct a precise and clear research question.
- To critically evaluate previous literature information related to your research.
- To understand research issues relevant to the topic of your research.
- To convince the reader that your research is an important contribution to the relevant niche.
A literature review is an important component. Learning how to write a literature review will help you compose an engaging and impressive literature review easily.
Keep your literature review organized by adding a subheading to maintain a smooth flow in the content. Try not to bore your readers and your instructor or the committee. Write it in an engaging manner.
6. Mention Significance of the Research
The significance of your research will identify the importance of your work. It should be mainly stated in the introductory paragraph.
You must highlight how your research is beneficial for the respective field of study. Similarly, you can also state its contribution to the field in both the broader and narrow sense.
7. Explain the Research Methodology
‘How to write a methods section of a research proposal?’
This section explains how you are going to conduct your research. Explain why the specific method is suitable for your research and how it will help you attain your research goals. Your research methodology will give you an organized plan for the research.
Mention sufficient information regarding your research methodology for readers to understand how you are conducting your research. It must contain enough information regarding the study for another researcher to implement it.
Choose the type of research methodology that is suitable for your research. Quantitative research is suitable for projects involving collecting and analyzing statistical data like that in social sciences, medicine, and psychology. Qualitative type is used in a theoretical type of research like that in literature.
Some research involves both; if your research topic also involves analyzing both the statistical data and theory, then make sure that you use them appropriately.
For a qualitative approach, the method section of your proposal needs to be more detailed and elaborate compared to the one in the quantitative approach. How you will collect your data and analyze it according to the qualitative approach should be described with great care.
When you choose a quantitative approach for your research, the method section should contain answers to the following elements.
- Design – Is it a laboratory experiment or a survey?
- What is the sample size and the subject of your study?
- What is the procedure of your study, and how will you carry out the activities involved in it?
- Describe your questionnaire or the instruments you will be using in the experiment.
Have detailed knowledge of all the research methodologies to justify your approach towards the research problem.
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8. Present the Hypothesis or the Expected Research Results
In the research proposal, this section will contain the results of the research, but since this is a research proposal, you do not have the results yet. This is why you will add the expected research results here. These results are those that you aim to obtain from the research.
Sometimes the researcher gets the same kind of results, but sometimes, the results could differ from the expected ones.
9. Mention the Ethical Considerations
It is an essential part of your outline. Researchers need to consider ethical values while conducting research work. Furthermore, you also have to be very careful in the data collection process and need to respect the rights of the participants.
They should not harm them in any way, and full consent should be obtained from them prior to the study.
Lastly, the writer’s moral duty is to promise complete confidentiality to feel comfortable while sharing information.
10. Discuss the Research Limitations
The research limitations indicate the flaws and shortcomings of your research. These may include:
- Unavailability of resources
- Small sample size
- Wrong methodology
Listing the limitations shows your honesty and complete understanding of the topic.
11. Add Proper References and Citation
Don’t forget the references section. You don’t want to get blamed for plagiarism. Always give references to the authors and the literature you have studied for your research.
There are two ways to cite your sources.
- Reference – List the literature that you have used in your proposal.
- Bibliography – List everything that you have studied, cited, or not while doing your study or while writing.
Follow a specific format for the citation section as instructed by your supervisor. It can be written in APA, MLA, Chicago, or Harvard style. Both references and bibliography are included in it.
12. Edit and Proofread
Many students prefer not to proofread the proposal after completion, which is a grave mistake. If you proofread the paper on your own, you may fail to identify the mistakes. Use online tools or have a helping hand from your friend to give it a good read.
In the end, edit the document as per the needs.
Why Do Research Proposals Get Rejected?
An analysis of 500 rejected proposals allowed us to identify the common blunders made in them. These blunders caused the rejection of otherwise promising research. Therefore, to maximize the chances of acceptance, you must avoid these mistakes.
Here are some of those mistakes.
- The proposal stated a flawed hypothesis.
- The professor doubts the research will not bring new or useful results.
- The plan mentioned in the proposal lacks details and is unrealistic.
- It lacks coherence.
- The results obtained, or the hypothesis from the chosen method will be inaccurate.
- The review of the literature is not done correctly.
- Sufficient time was not devoted to writing the proposal.
- The proposal is copied or has been used by many other students in the past.
These are the common ways that result in rejection.
If you desire to make it shine, stick to your instructor’s guidelines and stay away from committing these mistakes. They will kill the purpose and effort you have put into your proposal and tarnish your reputation also.
Research Proposal Examples
Looking for some helpful and detailed research proposal examples to get you started? Examples are great for a quick understanding of how something works or is written, in our case.
Here are some complete research paper proposal samples to help you write your own.
RESEARCH PROPOSAL SAMPLE
RESEARCH PROPOSAL EXAMPLE - APA
HOW TO WRITE A RESEARCH GRANT PROPOSAL
NSF RESEARCH PROPOSAL SAMPLE
MARKET RESEARCH PROPOSAL SAMPLE
PH.D. RESEARCH PROPOSAL SAMPLE
Research Proposal Topics
You can take ideas for your topic from books, journals, previously done research, and dissertations.
Here are a few topics you can choose from.
- How has technology evolved the English language over the last ten years?
- What are the effects of individualism on British literature?
- How has Feminism helped women get their rights over the last decade?
- What caused the fall of the Roman empire, and what are its effects?
- What factors caused World War II?
- What are the effects of World War II on diplomacy?
- Can cultural differences affect social interactions?
- How have violent video games affected brain development among children?
- How does alcohol affect aggression among a few people?
- How effective is the death penalty?
If you want to know more about finding a topic for your research paper and research paper topic examples, here is a list of interesting research paper topics .
Research proposals can be critical because they require great attention. If you are inexperienced, you are likely to suffer. In a worst-case scenario, your proposal may get rejected.
Your dedicated professional and experienced essay writer at 5StarEssays.com is always here to help you. Being a professional write an essay service, we know how to craft a compelling research proposal and help you get it accepted.
If you have any queries, talk to our representative or place your research proposal order now.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a strong research proposal.
Your proposal must explain 'why' your research is important in addition to explaining the methods that you will use. You should also position yourself within your field of study and give an overview of why this specific topic could be significant.
How many pages a research proposal should be?
Research proposals typically range between three and five pages in length. Research proposal formats vary across disciplines.
You should follow the format that is standard within your field, with special attention to what your faculty mentor prefers.
What tense should a research proposal be written in?
In a research proposal, use future tense for actions to be undertaken in the study. For example: "A survey method will be employed", and "a close-ended questionnaire will be used."
How long is a research proposal?
When writing a research proposal, it is best, to begin with, what you want to know more about. There is no set length for these proposals so they can be anywhere from 2,500 words up or down depending on the topic and scope of your study.
Does a research proposal have chapters?
Like a research paper, the introduction and conclusion of your proposal should be brief. In every chapter you include in your proposal, begin with an informative intro paragraph that captures what will follow in each section.
Similarly, for chapters near their end, conclusions summarize points discussed throughout the sections but also highlight what is most important about them overall.
PhD Essay, Literature
Nathan completed his Ph.D. in journalism and has been writing articles for well-respected publications for many years now. His work is carefully researched and insightful, showing a true passion for the written word. Nathan's clients appreciate his expertise, deep understanding of the process, and ability to communicate difficult concepts clearly.
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Detailed Guide: APA Research Proposal Example
Table of contents.
As a college student, essay assignments are the norm. But a research proposal may sound strange– especially if you are a newbie. If that’s the case, an APA research proposal example comes in handy. In this article, we’ll examine the features of a research proposal. And provide all the information you need to write your first.
What Is A Research Proposal?
A research proposal is a document that outlines the main idea of a research project . The proposal explains why the study needs to be done and how it will benefit society or improve knowledge in the field. It delineates the methodology of the research you’ve conducted or are about to execute.
What’s The Goal Of A Research Proposal?
A research proposal helps the writer explore a topic in greater detail. It provides an opportunity to identify and analyze relevant evidence, conclude, and offer potential solutions or recommendations. A research proposal also allows you to demonstrate knowledge of a specific field and create a well-rounded argument considering diverse perspectives. Sometimes, the purpose of a proposal is to secure funds to support your research. A research proposal presents a unique insight into a particular subject matter. And make a compelling case for its importance in advancing knowledge. You should be able to prove that your work will:
- Fill a knowledge gap on this topic or add to the existing knowledge on the subject
- Emphasize existing information on the issue
It should also prove that you are capable of contributing meaningfully to the field of study. The best way to prove this is by stating your credentials and academic qualifications. Your study proposal also affirms the academic merit of your ideas.
How Long Should A Proposal Be?
Frankly, the page count of a research proposal isn’t as important as the content it should entail. A master’s or bachelor’s research proposal may be a few pages long. But for a Ph.D. dissertation, it may be more as the research is often meatier.
The purpose of a research proposal is to outline any content or element of your research. Don’t leave out details because you are targeting a word or page count.
The Structure Of A Research Proposal
An APA Research Proposal structure isn’t set in stone. But some elements are critical. They are as follows:
Research Paper Title
The research title should embody your paper’s content. While you can still change your title during the project, you must ensure your title explains the whole study in a few words.
In just about 100 words, your abstract should state the question you intend to answer.
Background Significance
This is where you’ll give a background introduction to your topic. It covers issues like why you decided to work on the research, existing debates, etc. You should also include the relevance of the question you aim to answer and its importance. Finally, you must state the tool you plan to use while conducting your research.
Literature Review
The literature review lists the sources you plan to rely on for your research and why you are working with those sources.
Research Methods, Design And Schedule
This aspect of your research proposal covers the following topics.
- Identify if you are doing corrective, experimental, or descriptive research.
- State the kind of research you want to do. Is it quantitative or qualitative research?
- What tools will you use to curate data? Observation? Or will you conduct a survey?
- List all the data collection options available and why they are necessary.
In addition, this aspect of the research proposal should also indicate:
- Research budget
- Any form of potential obstacles and how you will resolve them.
- The timeline of your research
Conclusions
Like the name suggests, this section wraps up the research proposal. It summarizes research proposals and restates your purpose.
Bibliography
Finally, list your sources or the works that contributed to your research. In this case, you need to follow the APA format. You can even annotate your bibliography, indicating how each source will contribute to your study.
APA Research Proposal Format
Now, we’ll briefly analyze what the APA format should look like.
- 1-inch margins
- 12-point font Times New Roman
- An APA running head (limited to 50 characters)
- Double-spaced
- References page (following APA guidelines)
- In-text citations (formatted accordingly to APA guidelines)
- A title page containing your research title (12 words maximum), your name, and your institution name
- Abstract (150-200 words)
What To Avoid In APA Research Paper
Some factors can mar your research proposals. APA research papers should be written carefully, avoiding the following mistakes: 1. Using overly technical language that can make it difficult for the reader to understand. 2. Omitting any necessary facts or data may weaken the paper’s credibility and validity. 3. Failing to cite sources accurately could result in plagiarism. 4. Making assumptions without providing evidence to back them up. 5. Overlooking potential ethical issues related to a topic. 6. Ignoring grammar and spelling mistakes. 7. Not organizing ideas logically or presenting them in an unclear manner. 8. Relying too heavily on one source of information when multiple perspectives are needed. 9. Being overly opinionated instead of using objective analysis and reasoning.
APA Research Proposal Example
Emotional well-being and mental health research proposal , introduction.
I propose undertaking a research project into the effects of emotional well-being on mental health. This study investigates how emotional well-being affects one’s ability to cope with and manage mental health. This proposal will analyze current literature, examine personal experiences, and explore various theories. It seeks to gain an understanding of how emotional well-being influences mental health.
Research Methodology
In terms of methodology, I plan to conduct both qualitative and quantitative research. Using these mediums, I will form conclusions regarding the correlation between emotional well-being and mental health. A survey will be administered online, followed by semi-structured interviews with participants who indicate that they are struggling with their mental health. Furthermore, I will conduct interviews with healthcare professionals. Personal stories and observations from my experience working with individuals with mental illness will also be incorporated into the data collection process. Additionally, information from relevant academic studies on this topic will be used to inform the interpretation of the results. The proposed research has theoretical and practical implications for understanding the complex relationship between emotion and mental health. Theoretically, it could lead to a greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying this relationship. It could also provide insight into the psychological underpinnings of mental illnesses like anxiety or depression. Moreover, the findings could suggest new strategies for helping those with poor mental health. It will provide them with improved access to support systems and resources. Finally, further exploration of this issue could result in policies geared towards improving emotional well-being implemented at governmental levels. I anticipate that this study will take approximately 6 months to complete, depending on the availability of interview subjects.
If allowed to conduct this research, I am confident I can produce valid and reliable results. One that will contribute to our collective knowledge about the role of emotion in mental health. Note: This is a skeletal APA research proposal example. This should only serve as a guide. You need to be as detailed as possible while writing yours.
An APA research proposal example is a document that outlines the basic idea of a researcher’s project. When writing a research proposal using the APA style, it’s essential to follow the formatting rules the American Psychological Association laid out. This includes providing references in the correct format, such as author name, date, and page number. Worried about drafting an excellent research proposal? Take INK on a spin. Our proposal generator takes instructions and delivers a brilliant research proposal.
Abir Ghenaiet
Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.
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- Research paper
Writing a Research Paper Introduction | Step-by-Step Guide
Published on September 24, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on November 29, 2022.
The introduction to a research paper is where you set up your topic and approach for the reader. It has several key goals:
- Present your topic and get the reader interested
- Provide background or summarize existing research
- Position your own approach
- Detail your specific research problem and problem statement
- Give an overview of the paper’s structure
The introduction looks slightly different depending on whether your paper presents the results of original empirical research or constructs an argument by engaging with a variety of sources.
Table of contents
Step 1: introduce your topic, step 2: describe the background, step 3: establish your research problem, step 4: specify your objective(s), step 5: map out your paper, research paper introduction examples, frequently asked questions about the research paper introduction.
The first job of the introduction is to tell the reader what your topic is and why it’s interesting or important. This is generally accomplished with a strong opening hook.
The hook is a striking opening sentence that clearly conveys the relevance of your topic. Think of an interesting fact or statistic, a strong statement, a question, or a brief anecdote that will get the reader wondering about your topic.
For example, the following could be an effective hook for an argumentative paper about the environmental impact of cattle farming:
A more empirical paper investigating the relationship of Instagram use with body image issues in adolescent girls might use the following hook:
Don’t feel that your hook necessarily has to be deeply impressive or creative. Clarity and relevance are still more important than catchiness. The key thing is to guide the reader into your topic and situate your ideas.
This part of the introduction differs depending on what approach your paper is taking.
In a more argumentative paper, you’ll explore some general background here. In a more empirical paper, this is the place to review previous research and establish how yours fits in.
Argumentative paper: Background information
After you’ve caught your reader’s attention, specify a bit more, providing context and narrowing down your topic.
Provide only the most relevant background information. The introduction isn’t the place to get too in-depth; if more background is essential to your paper, it can appear in the body .
Empirical paper: Describing previous research
For a paper describing original research, you’ll instead provide an overview of the most relevant research that has already been conducted. This is a sort of miniature literature review —a sketch of the current state of research into your topic, boiled down to a few sentences.
This should be informed by genuine engagement with the literature. Your search can be less extensive than in a full literature review, but a clear sense of the relevant research is crucial to inform your own work.
Begin by establishing the kinds of research that have been done, and end with limitations or gaps in the research that you intend to respond to.
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The next step is to clarify how your own research fits in and what problem it addresses.
Argumentative paper: Emphasize importance
In an argumentative research paper, you can simply state the problem you intend to discuss, and what is original or important about your argument.
Empirical paper: Relate to the literature
In an empirical research paper, try to lead into the problem on the basis of your discussion of the literature. Think in terms of these questions:
- What research gap is your work intended to fill?
- What limitations in previous work does it address?
- What contribution to knowledge does it make?
You can make the connection between your problem and the existing research using phrases like the following.
Now you’ll get into the specifics of what you intend to find out or express in your research paper.
The way you frame your research objectives varies. An argumentative paper presents a thesis statement, while an empirical paper generally poses a research question (sometimes with a hypothesis as to the answer).
Argumentative paper: Thesis statement
The thesis statement expresses the position that the rest of the paper will present evidence and arguments for. It can be presented in one or two sentences, and should state your position clearly and directly, without providing specific arguments for it at this point.
Empirical paper: Research question and hypothesis
The research question is the question you want to answer in an empirical research paper.
Present your research question clearly and directly, with a minimum of discussion at this point. The rest of the paper will be taken up with discussing and investigating this question; here you just need to express it.
A research question can be framed either directly or indirectly.
- This study set out to answer the following question: What effects does daily use of Instagram have on the prevalence of body image issues among adolescent girls?
- We investigated the effects of daily Instagram use on the prevalence of body image issues among adolescent girls.
If your research involved testing hypotheses , these should be stated along with your research question. They are usually presented in the past tense, since the hypothesis will already have been tested by the time you are writing up your paper.
For example, the following hypothesis might respond to the research question above:
The final part of the introduction is often dedicated to a brief overview of the rest of the paper.
In a paper structured using the standard scientific “introduction, methods, results, discussion” format, this isn’t always necessary. But if your paper is structured in a less predictable way, it’s important to describe the shape of it for the reader.
If included, the overview should be concise, direct, and written in the present tense.
- This paper will first discuss several examples of survey-based research into adolescent social media use, then will go on to …
- This paper first discusses several examples of survey-based research into adolescent social media use, then goes on to …
Full examples of research paper introductions are shown in the tabs below: one for an argumentative paper, the other for an empirical paper.
- Argumentative paper
- Empirical paper
Are cows responsible for climate change? A recent study (RIVM, 2019) shows that cattle farmers account for two thirds of agricultural nitrogen emissions in the Netherlands. These emissions result from nitrogen in manure, which can degrade into ammonia and enter the atmosphere. The study’s calculations show that agriculture is the main source of nitrogen pollution, accounting for 46% of the country’s total emissions. By comparison, road traffic and households are responsible for 6.1% each, the industrial sector for 1%. While efforts are being made to mitigate these emissions, policymakers are reluctant to reckon with the scale of the problem. The approach presented here is a radical one, but commensurate with the issue. This paper argues that the Dutch government must stimulate and subsidize livestock farmers, especially cattle farmers, to transition to sustainable vegetable farming. It first establishes the inadequacy of current mitigation measures, then discusses the various advantages of the results proposed, and finally addresses potential objections to the plan on economic grounds.
The rise of social media has been accompanied by a sharp increase in the prevalence of body image issues among women and girls. This correlation has received significant academic attention: Various empirical studies have been conducted into Facebook usage among adolescent girls (Tiggermann & Slater, 2013; Meier & Gray, 2014). These studies have consistently found that the visual and interactive aspects of the platform have the greatest influence on body image issues. Despite this, highly visual social media (HVSM) such as Instagram have yet to be robustly researched. This paper sets out to address this research gap. We investigated the effects of daily Instagram use on the prevalence of body image issues among adolescent girls. It was hypothesized that daily Instagram use would be associated with an increase in body image concerns and a decrease in self-esteem ratings.
The introduction of a research paper includes several key elements:
- A hook to catch the reader’s interest
- Relevant background on the topic
- Details of your research problem
and your problem statement
- A thesis statement or research question
- Sometimes an overview of the paper
Don’t feel that you have to write the introduction first. The introduction is often one of the last parts of the research paper you’ll write, along with the conclusion.
This is because it can be easier to introduce your paper once you’ve already written the body ; you may not have the clearest idea of your arguments until you’ve written them, and things can change during the writing process .
The way you present your research problem in your introduction varies depending on the nature of your research paper . A research paper that presents a sustained argument will usually encapsulate this argument in a thesis statement .
A research paper designed to present the results of empirical research tends to present a research question that it seeks to answer. It may also include a hypothesis —a prediction that will be confirmed or disproved by your research.
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What (Exactly) Is A Research Proposal?
A simple explainer with examples + free template.
By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2020
If you’re nearing the end of your degree program and your dissertation or thesis is on the horizon, or you’re planning to apply for a PhD program, chances are you’re going to need to craft a convincing research proposal . If you’re on this page, you’re probably unsure exactly what the research proposal is all about. Well, you’ve come to the right place.
Overview: Research Proposal Basics
- What a dissertation or thesis research proposal is
- What things a research proposal needs to cover
- How long a research proposal needs to be
- How to structure and write up a proposal
What is a research proposal?
A research proposal is a simply a structured, formal document that explains what you plan to research (i.e. your research topic), why it’s worth researching (i.e. your justification), and how you plan to investigate it (i.e. your practical approach).
The purpose of the research proposal (it’s 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 research proposal needs to sell your research idea (to whoever is going to approve it). If it doesn’t convince them (of its suitability and manageability), you’ll need to revise and resubmit . This will cost you valuable time, which will either delay the start of your research or eat into its time allowance (which is bad news).
What goes into a research proposal?
As we mentioned earlier, a good dissertation or thesis proposal needs to cover the “what”, the “why” and the “how” of the research. Let’s look at each of these in a little more detail:
Your proposal needs to clearly articulate your research topic. This needs to be specific and unambiguous . Your research topic should make it clear exactly what you plan to research and in what context. Here’s an example:
Topic: An investigation into the factors which impact female Generation Y consumer’s likelihood to promote a specific makeup brand to their peers: a British context
As you can see, this topic is extremely clear. From this one line we can see exactly:
- What’s being investigated – factors that make people promote a brand of makeup
- Who it involves – female Gen-Y consumers
- In what context – the United Kingdom
So, make sure that your research proposal provides a detailed explanation of your research topic. It should go without saying, but don’t start writing your proposal until you have a crystal-clear topic in mind, or you’ll end up waffling away a few thousand words.
Need a helping hand?
As we touched on earlier, it’s not good enough to simply propose a research topic – you need to justify why your topic is original . In other words, what makes it unique ? What gap in the current literature does it fill? If it’s simply a rehash of the existing research, it’s probably not going to get approval – it needs to be fresh.
But, originality alone is not enough. Once you’ve ticked that box, you also need to justify why your proposed topic is important . In other words, what value will it add to the world if you manage to find answers to your research questions ?
For example, let’s look at the sample research topic we mentioned earlier (factors impacting brand advocacy). In this case, if the research could uncover relevant factors, these findings would be very useful to marketers in the cosmetics industry, and would, therefore, have commercial value . That is a clear justification for the research.
So, when you’re crafting your research proposal, remember that it’s not enough for a topic to simply be unique. It needs to be useful and value-creating – and you need to convey that value in your proposal. If you’re struggling to find a research topic that makes the cut, watch our video covering how to find a research topic .
It’s all good and well to have a great topic that’s original and important, but you’re not going to convince anyone to approve it without discussing the practicalities – in other words:
- How will you undertake your research?
- Is your research design appropriate for your topic?
- Is your plan manageable given your constraints (time, money, expertise)?
While it’s generally not expected that you’ll have a fully fleshed out research strategy at the proposal stage, you will need to provide a high-level view of your research methodology and some key design decisions. Here are some important questions you’ll need to address in your proposal:
- Will you take a qualitative or quantitative approach ?
- Will your design be cross-sectional or longitudinal ?
- How will you collect your data ( interviews , surveys , etc)?
- How will you analyse your data (e.g. statistical analysis, qualitative data analysis , etc)?
So, make sure you give some thought to the practicalities of your research and have at least a basic understanding of research methodologies before you start writing up your proposal. The video below provides a good introduction to methodology.
How long is a research proposal?
This varies tremendously, depending on the university, the field of study (e.g., social sciences vs natural sciences), and the level of the degree (e.g. undergraduate, Masters or PhD) – so it’s always best to check with your university what their specific requirements are before you start planning your proposal.
As a rough guide, a formal research proposal at Masters-level often ranges between 2000-3000 words , while a PhD-level proposal can be far more detailed, ranging from 5000-8000 words . In some cases, a rough outline of the topic is all that’s needed, while in other cases, universities expect a very detailed proposal that essentially forms the first three chapters of the dissertation or thesis.
The takeaway – be sure to check with your institution before you start writing.
How is a research proposal structured?
While the exact structure and format required for a dissertation or thesis research proposal differs from university to university, there are five “ essential ingredients ” that typically make up the structure of a research proposal:
- A descriptive title or title page
- A rich introduction and background to the proposed research
- A discussion of the scope/delimitations of the research
- An initial literature review covering the key research in the area
- A discussion of the proposed research design (methodology)
For a detailed explanation of each of these, and step by step guidance covering how to write a research proposal, have a look at this video post . You might also consider using our free research proposal template here .
Final thoughts
As you write up your research proposal, remember the all-important core purpose: to convince . Your research proposal needs to sell your research idea in terms of suitability and viability. So, focus on crafting a convincing narrative and you’ll have won half the battle.
Psst… there’s more (for free)
This post is part of our research writing mini-course, which covers everything you need to get started with your dissertation, thesis or research project.
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41 Comments
I truly enjoyed this video, as it was eye-opening to what I have to do in the preparation of preparing a Research proposal.
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This is very helpful. Would love to continue even as I prepare for starting my masters next year.
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Bundle of thanks to you for the research proposal guide it was really good and useful if it is possible please send me the sample of research proposal
You’re most welcome. We don’t have any research proposals that we can share (the students own the intellectual property), but you might find our research proposal template useful: https://gradcoach.com/research-proposal-template/
Cheruiyot Moses Kipyegon
Thanks alot. It was an eye opener that came timely enough before my imminent proposal defense. Thanks, again
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I am an undergraduate student (First Degree) preparing to write my project,this video and explanation had shed more light to me thanks for your efforts keep it up.
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Wonderful guidelines for writing a research proposal, I am a student of m.phil( education), this guideline is suitable for me. Thanks
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Thank you. This is a great insight. I am a student preparing for a PhD program. I am requested to write my Research Proposal as part of what I am required to submit before my unconditional admission. I am grateful having listened to this video which will go a long way in helping me to actually choose a topic of interest and not just any topic as well as to narrow down the topic and be specific about it. I indeed need more of this especially as am trying to choose a topic suitable for a DBA am about embarking on. Thank you once more. The video is indeed helpful.
Have learnt a lot just at the right time. Thank you so much.
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Hi. For my MSc medical education research, please evaluate this topic for me: Training Needs Assessment of Faculty in Medical Training Institutions in Kericho and Bomet Counties
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I do applaud your simplified method of explaining the subject matter, which indeed has broaden my understanding of the subject matter. Definitely this would enable me writing a sellable research proposal.
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Great! I liked your tutoring on how to find a research topic and how to write a research proposal. Precise and concise. Thank you very much. Will certainly share this with my students. Research made simple indeed.
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I need any research proposal
Thank you for these videos. I will need chapter by chapter assistance in writing my MSc dissertation
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How to Write a Research Proposal
How to write a research proposal when you have no idea what is it? A research proposal is another writing assignment a student can be faced with. For your help, EssayPro's paper writers wrote a full guide on how to write a research proposal with a research proposal example included. Let’s get right into the topic starting with a research proposal definition with our service.
What Is a Research Proposal
When your instructor assigns a research proposal, they seek a brief summary and a detailed methodology of the research you have conducted or will conduct for their class. The proposal allows them to approve your idea or propose any necessary changes before you begin writing. It is important to understand what this assignment’s purpose is.
Writing a proposal will allow you to demonstrate the depth of your knowledge in a particular field, as it will show your ability to express complex ideas briefly. The process of writing involves several steps such as brainstorming, picking a topic, drafting, and revising. At the end of the writing process, you will have a proposal that explains your research question and the purpose of your conducted study.
Starting Writing a Proposal
To start, find something that interests you, and choose a topic related to your field of study. Read on articles about recent discoveries, breakthroughs, and innovation. Find inspiration on our blog or just ask one of our professional writers to help you. Make sure that the topic you’ll be writing on will interest you so that you’ll find it easier to write about. Take a look at things you believe in. Review on things that you are passionate about and ask yourself these 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) conducted on the topic?
- What exactly should I plan to do, and can I get it done in the time available?
Once you chose the topic of your custom term paper , follow the research proposal template from our service.
Research Proposal Template
No ‘one-size-fits-all’ research proposal template would suit every type of paper. However, regardless of the scope and depth of your research, you will find that most sample templates include the listed information.
Research Paper Title You will be able to revise your title throughout your research, but it is important that the title encompasses what your paper is about.
Example: The direct influence of Hitchcock’s Psycho on the genre of horror.
Abstract: This portion should be around 100 words long, consisting of the central question that you wish to address.
Context Your proposal should include a brief background to which you conducted your research. That includes the area of study, any debates on the topic and the relevance of the question.
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Research Question The aim should be to attempt to answer a question. The question needs to be narrow and focused, and reflect the objective of your essay. During your writing process, narrow your research question to two different aspects. You should elaborate on how you intend to answer the question and brief the reader on the conclusion that you made.
Example: How did Hitchcock’s Psycho influence the way horror films were made? How has the horror genre changed with respect to the film?
Research Method The research proposal should show how you conducted your research. Explain your key resources (ways you found your information) and how you collected your data. If you did interviews, brief the reader on who the people you interviewed were. Then explain how you analyzed the findings.
Research Significance Explain why your work is important. In any sample, you will find a short justification for why your research is original and how it adds something new to the field of study. You might want to list a reason why your research is pressing in the current time.
Example: The conducted research links Hitchcock’s Psycho too many modern films that exhibit the same shock-factor qualities. Today, shock-factor is harder to achieve; this is visible on the increase of poorly produced, lower-quality horror flicks that resort to shock rather than suspense to hold the audience’s attention.
Bibliography Lastly, you would want to create a list of the most relevant works that contributed to your study. You can need to so in the research paper format required by your instructor (APA, MLA, etc.). You can create an annotated bibliography, giving some insights into how each of the sources helped you with your research.
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Research Proposal Outline
Your research proposal outline should be structured according to the template above. Read more about outline format in our article. Before embarking on the proposal writing process, make sure that you have your research question narrowed down properly and a solid outline as to how you will structure your proposal. According to our history essay writer , your research proposal outline should include:
- Intro/Abstract. Why is your research significant?
- General area
- Area’s importance
- What is already known?
- Previous studies
- Background information
- Rational and Research Question
- Your research question
- How does your research question relate to the larger area of study?
- What is your argument/claim/hypothesis as to the answer to this question?
- Is there an opposite viewpoint?
- How did you collect the data?
- What method did you use?
- Did you have participants?
- How does it relate to your research?
- What results did you expect?
- Significance and Conclusion
- How did the data/information gathered confirm/disconfirm your hypothesis?
- Why should anyone care about the research you conducted?
- Bibliography. Include at least 6 sources
You need to write an outline for a research paper but don't know how to do it? Learn more about this in our article on research paper outline .
Research Paper Format
A format can vary from being only a couple of paragraphs long to about 2,500 words long for things like dissertations. Discuss with your instructor specifics such as length and contents before starting the writing process.
APA Research Proposal
The APA format itself can help you understand how to write a proposal for a research paper. The APA guidelines require writing an abstract, an introduction, and a bibliography as part of the paper, not only in the proposal. Here is a short breakdown of the APA proposal format:
- 12-point font Times New Roman
- Double-spaced
- 1-inch margins
- An APA running head (limited to 50 characters)
- A title page with the paper’s title (no more than 12 words in length), your name, and the name of your institution
- An abstract (150-200 words)
- In-text citations (formatted accordingly to APA guidelines)
- References page (formatted accordingly to APA guidelines)
Research Proposal Example
Here is a research proposal example APA. Notice the structure of a short research paper (around 15 pages) and the APA formatting.
Research Proposal: Video Guide
Avoid in a research proposal.
There are a couple of things that successful proposals have in common. If you look at an example, you will see that there are a couple of things in common that all of the proposals avoid:
- Not being concise enough. Your proposal must be written with a clear purpose in mind.
- Alleviating works cited page.
- Forgetting to disclose research boundaries and conflicting variables (age of participants, for example)
- An underdeveloped argument.
- A lack of focus and unrelated tangents.
- Poor grammar.
- Too much detail or not enough detail.
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It’s okay if all the instructions and explanations didn’t make it clear to you how to write a research proposal. There is still a way to figure the task out — send us you ' write my research paper ' request to get help. Make your life easier, start your cooperation with the trusted service!
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Research Proposal Examples
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- Think About Your Intended Audience
- Clarify the New and Most Crucial Information
- Don’t Forget Information Regarding the Budget and Timeline
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How to Write a Research Proposal
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Research Proposal on Strategic Planning, Innovation & Change: Keys to Business Success
Introduction.
Strategic management entails continuous planning, observing, analyzing, and assessing all activities that are necessary for achieving the goals and objectives of an organization (Abosede, Obasan & Alese, 2016). When a business changes its environment, it is recommended to evaluate its strategies to attain success. Innovation is a practice of transforming an idea to a good or service in a way that creates value for the customer. In businesses, change is useful when management applies new ideas or initiatives to satisfy customer needs and expectations (Pisano, 2015). Strategic management and innovation are two aspects that drive business success. A business that wants to achieve a competitive advantage must incorporate change in its strategic decisions. The company must create an environment that motivates workers to focus on the achievement of projects. Engagement of innovative solutions in business helps in meeting customer needs (Machado & Mole, 2014).
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Many businesses today are embracing strategic management and innovation to increase competitiveness in the market (Baporikar, 2014). Adapting strategic management choices that incorporate change is essential for a business to compete in the local and international markets (Abosede et al., 2016). It is the role of the management to analyze, design, and implements coherent strategies and structure businesses in a way that supports the successful execution of the procedure. In the small and medium industry, strategic management and innovation have been applied in business through value creation, internationalization, product diversification, open innovation as well as clustering among other elements (Machado & Melo, 2014). Based on the endogenous growth theory, companies apply changes to reduce market uncertainties and drive economic growth (Abosede & Anakoya, 2013). A strategic choice of investing in research and development in businesses supports changes to increase the productivity of a business. A company that fails to use innovative solutions, and the benefits of lower prices may not exceed that of innovativeness. Therefore, strategic management and innovation in businesses go hand in hand to give competitive advantages for the company in the marketplace (Abosede et al., 2016). In the Chinese context, strategic management and innovation is not a new thing. Companies have applied these elements in achieving a competitive advantage. The current study will examine the subject of strategic management and change in the small and medium industry in China with particular reference to the Matchmaking Agency Company.
Research Questions
- Do small and medium industry companies in China embrace strategic management and innovation?
- How do small and medium industry businesses in China apply strategic management and innovation?
- To what extent can small and medium industry organizations in China improve their application of strategic management and innovation for business productivity?
Research Objectives and Statement of the Problem
Research objectives.
- To examine whether small and medium industry companies embrace strategic management and innovation.
- To investigate how small and medium industry companies apply strategic management and innovation.
- To evaluate how small and medium industry companies can improve their application of strategic management and innovation for business productivity.
Statement of the Problem
The application of strategic management and innovation in organizations has focused on the use of technology is the only significant way of innovativeness in businesses. In China, innovative companies are highly associated with the use of technology. Quan, Loon, and Sanderson (2018) examined the innovation in the local context in China and revealed that many successful businesses focus on technology as the only way of change. However, the difference is more of engaging in strategic diversification, innovativeness in the production methods, product design, and vertical integration strategy. In the area of research, previous studies emphasize the application of strategic decisions and innovation in small and medium businesses in the manufacturing industry, construction, motor, and technology industries. Krasniqi and Kume (2013) found out that small and medium companies make an effort to strategically manage and innovate their operations through the creation of new networks, internationalization, growth orientation, organization learning, and technology advancement. No research has been made on small and medium businesses in the matchmaking agency in China or any other country. The present study aims at closing a gap in research and literature to establish how small and medium businesses in the matchmaking agency apply strategic management and innovation solutions for business productivity.
Literature Review
Strategic management and innovation in small and medium companies.
Small and medium businesses embrace strategic management and innovation in their operations. Kee-Luen, Hiam, Yong, and Seng-Fook (2013) argued that manufacturing companies in Malaysia apply strategic planning in managing their operations. Such businesses have a high possibility of performing better than those who do not incorporate strategic planning. Learning and innovation in manufacturing businesses in Malaysia is a crucial aspect that drives productivity in organizations. Abosede et al. (2016) noted that innovativeness is embraced in both high-tech and small and medium industries in China. The small and medium enterprises in China embrace flexibility in their operations that help them adapt strategic choices that drive competition in the changing market locally and internationally. The findings show that the success of small and medium businesses in China lies in the capacity to access, transfer as well as application technology. The knowledge of entrepreneurial competitiveness supports innovative decisions in strategically managing companies.
How Small and Medium Industry Companies Apply Strategic Management and Innovation
Small and medium industry companies apply strategic management and innovation in various ways. Steinfeld and Beltoft (2014) revealed that in China, small and medium companies use innovation and strategic management through building commercially viable ideas. In the manufacturing industry, products and their designs are innovatively and strategically sought through component sourcing. It shows that commercialization through the adaptation of technologies and business models are strategies that drive the competitiveness of small and medium companies in China. These views support the application of an innovative framework in strategic decision-making that promotes the productivity and competitiveness of the business in the market. Zhan, Tan, Ji, Chung, and Tseng (2017) revealed that the use of technological innovations such as the big data framework accelerates the processes of product invention. Strategic decisions can be made after determining the weaknesses of a product within the development cycle.
Strategic management and innovation are elements that explain why customers will be willing to pay more for a specific product. The ability to prioritize customer needs when making strategic decisions and using innovation address the requirements guarantees better performance of the company products in the market. Abosede et al. (2016) stated that small and medium businesses in the Chinese context are becoming more flexible by adapting strategic choices that reflect changes in the market, and that makes them able to face competition. It means that companies support innovative ideas for strategy formation and execution. These businesses gain competencies as well as competitive advantages that promote transformational leadership, and diversity that impact improved behavior and performance of workers (Lu, Au, Pend, & Xu, 2013).
How Small and Medium Industry Companies can Improve their Application of Strategic Management and Innovation for business productivity.
Small and medium industry businesses can improve their application of strategic management and innovation through internationalization, growth orientation, and promotion of organizational learning (Krasniqi & Kume, 2013). However, much has to be done the company leadership, structure, business environment, and approach to the regional markets. Benchmarking performance with other companies in the small and medium industry is useful to gauge the competitiveness in the market (Manurung & Kosasih, 2013)). In such cases, businesses can establish their competitive advantages and weaknesses in strategic management and innovation as well as develop new approaches to improve performance. Their proactive strategies, such as corporate growth and differentiation, should incorporate a strategic planning model that steers innovative solutions (Abosede et al., 2016).
Significance of the Study
The research will benefit various groups, including small and medium organizations, the Matchmaking Agency Company, and similar organizations as well as future researchers. Businesses in the small and medium industry will gain from the information provided in the study as they will be able to learn the importance of making strategic choices and innovative solutions for their organizations. The management at Matchmaking Agency Company in China and similar organizations will gain from this study as it explores their industry. It contributes to the knowledge about strategic management and innovation for small and medium businesses in the matchmaking agency sector. They will learn how their level of success when it comes to applying strategic management and innovation in their practices and identify the areas of improvement. Future researchers in the topic of investigation will benefit from the study as it will form a background reference for further exploration.
Research Methodology
A quantitative research design will be used to collect and analyze data. It is a method that allows the collection of numerical data and the use of statistical techniques when interpreting data (Brians, 2011). Primary data will be collected using a questionnaire survey. Data will be obtained from the employees of the Matchmaking Agency Company in China. Simple random sampling will be used to select the participants whereby an equal chance to all employees will be given for participation in the study (Wilson, 2014). Closed-ended questions will be used when designing the questionnaire to provide uniformity and ease in data analysis (Creswell, 2014). Data will be analyzed using statistical techniques, including Ms. Excel application and SPSS software.
Abosede, A., & Onakoya, A. (2013). Intellectual Entrepreneurship: Theories, Purpose, and Challenges. International Journal of Business Administration, 4(5), 30-37. DOI: 10.5430/ijba.v4n5p30
Abosede, A., Obasan, K., & Alese, O. (2016). Strategic management and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) development: A review of the literature. International Review of Management and Business Research, 5(1), 315-335. ISSN: 2306-9007
Baporikar, N. (2014). Innovation strategies in SME: Global perspective. IGI Global. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-4731-2.ch016
Brians, C. (2011). Empirical political analysis: International edition. 8th Edition. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781138088764.
Creswell, J. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approach. 4th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Retrieved from http://englishlangkan.com/produk/E%20Book%20Research%20Design%20Cresswee...
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Research Proposal Template
Used 7,813 times
Reviewed by Olga Asheychik
Prepared by: [Researcher.FirstName] [Researcher.LastName]
Prepared for: [Supervisor.FirstName]
[Supervisor.LastName]
This should be clear and concise, leaving the reader with no doubt regarding your field of study. A good title structure can often be “Short Title: Longer Explanation of Your Field.” Your academic institution may have a preferred format for the title, or even a title page. Find out before you submit your proposal. If there is no preferred format, keep it simple and clear, and use a “serif” font that is easily legible.
(Main title: What I am trying to find out by taking on this project)
(Academic Institution)
(Subject Area)
[Supervisor.FirstName]
[Supervisor.LastName] (if you already have one)
[Researcher.FirstName]
[Researcher.LastName]
(Student ID/Number)
2. Abstract
100-200 words. This summarizes the central theme of your research. Use concise, clipped language that is academic without being over-wordy and verbose. The abstract needs to be entirely your own words, as every abstract should be completely different, unique in its approach to your topic. Like the rest of the document, apart from block quotations, it should be double-spaced and laid out clearly.
3. Contents
Depending on the length of your research proposal, you may wish to include a contents page for the proposal itself (not for your main research project: suggested contents for this are included in your Proposed Chapter Outline, section 9) , as follows (add page numbers/subsections when you know them, depending on your research) . As you introduce sub-sections into your different sections, number them accordingly e.g. subsections of the literature review could be numbered 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, etc.
Abstract………………………………………pn
Contents……………………………………..pn
Introduction………………………………..pn
Problem Statement……………………pn
Objectives…………………………………..pn
Literature Review……………………….pn
Notion of Original Research……..pn
Key Assertions / Objectives……..pn
Research Methods…………………….pn
Sample Audience……………………….pn
Research Questions…………………..pn
Research Design………………………..pn
Analysis………………………………………pn
Proposed Chapter Outline…………pn
Research Limitations…………………pn
Proposed Timescale………………….pn
Funding (Optional)……………………..pn
References/ Bibliography………….pn
4. Introduction
200-400 words. Unlike the abstract, this is not a summary of everything you are about to say — you can afford to grab your readers’ attention right out of the gate. Deliver a surprise beginning, perhaps a quote from someone who inspires you on this topic, and show your knowledge of the research area (include, if you like, your previous research experience in this field; in fact, it may serve you well to be personal in this section) and why it is relevant to today’s world.
Try to provide facts and references here in order to give relevance to your study and why it is being conducted. This will help to explain the motivation behind your research and how important it is for academia, the industry or public sector it is being conducted in.
5. Problem Statement
Keep this short and informative. This section is meant to provide the reader with a summarized description of the problems you seek to address through your research proposal. Showcase the questions you seek to answer through your research and how it will help benefit those who read it. A problem statement should include the context of the problem, a particular audience you are targeting, and a timeline for the study. This will ensure that your research is well-focused and relevant to the current time and people.
The application of (topic, aka the main title of the subject you are researching) for (a particular group of people) in (timeline, this should either be current year or upcoming years but research can be done on past years as well) .
6. Objectives
This follows up on the problem statement section. It elaborates further on the problem statement by dividing it into a set of 3 to 5 descriptive assertions or intentions that relate to the problem. Objectives establish the scope and depth of your project and also help set up the idea for the research design (as seen later in the research proposal template) . The objectives can also indicate a section that shows how your research will contribute to already existing research and knowledge.
To study the applications of blockchain in the gaming industry and how it can help be a new source of revenue.
To study how blockchain gaming can influence people who don’t gamble to actively invest time in gaming.
To determine whether blockchain gaming can be a viable job opportunity in the future.
7. Literature review
Length can vary immensely, but probably 300-1500 words or more, depending on the nature of your research. This is one of the most important sections of your research proposal. It demonstrates that you know your field, who the key research players are in it, what has been said in the past and what is being said at the moment. You will want to mention — and where appropriate, quote from — key works in your area.
This is the section that requires the most preliminary research, so be sure you spend ample time in an academic library and use search engines for relevant academic papers before presenting. You do not need to discuss every work in your area, but you need to present a competent outline, and (especially if this is a proposal for doctoral research) you need to be sure that no one else has already done the same project. A good way of presenting a literature review coherently is in the form of a narrative, which can either be chronological or thematic.
There has been a (small/considerable/state value here) amount of previous academic research in this field.
(For a chronological narrative) I will outline how the understanding of (subject) has developed over (the last number of) years.
(Insert chronological narrative, remembering to introduce key players, dates, and academic works, and end with the state of the field as it is today.)
(For a thematic narrative) I will outline the major themes that are of relevance in this field, and go through them each in turn:
• (use a bulleted list to outline what themes/topics you are planning on covering)
After your bulleted list, you can use the themes from your list as subtitles to split up your literature review. Put them in bold. You could also add them as subsections in your contents page.
Under each subtitle, describe the state of the field of research in this area, including the most important researchers and works in this area.
8. Notion of original research
Length varies here as well, but similar in length to the literature review is likely a good place to start. This is where you sell your research proposal to the reader. You need to explain, clearly and simply, how your research will complement the field you have just described in your literature review — what you will add, how it fills an existing gap, why the academic world would benefit from your research, etc.
9. Key Assertions/Objectives
One sentence for each question/assertion. This is really part of the “notion of original research” section. A good way of making your research aim clear is to state a clear research question, and back it up with 2-4 specific assertions or objectives.
My central research question is as follows:
(insert research question here, in bold)
In the light of this, I will make the following observations/assertions: (insert observations/assertions here, in bulleted list.)
10. Research methods
Approx. 50-1000 words, depending on the nature of your research. This is where you explain how and where you plan to carry out your research. This will vary hugely depending on your subject. Will you be researching in libraries and archives? Which ones hold the books and documents you will need? Will you need to travel? If so, where? Will your research involve extensive field work? How and where? State whether you will plan to use different methods of data collection, and if so what they will be.
Do you need to be in a laboratory? Will you be emphasizing qualitative or quantitative collection of data, or both equally? Do you have the necessary skills and qualifications to undertake your research (for instance, foreign languages, statistical analysis, laboratory training, etc) ? If not, what are your plans to acquire these skills? (Note: many postgraduate institutions offer considerable support in the acquisition of new skills necessary to perform research, but this will require discussion at the proposal stage.)
11. Sample Audience
This section aims to provide the reader of the proposal with a description of who the sample audience is. You can add a brief description of your ideal sample audience and why such a person is relevant or necessary to the research. You can also mention what measures can be taken to gain their consent for the research in order to get a more enthusiastic and unbiased response. Lastly, you should mention where you propose to find this sample audience and any barriers that may occur in finding or engaging them.
12. Research Questions
13. research design.
This section will give the reader a description of what the research stimuli will look like. It gives a background of the different variations you may employ to better help test your hypothesis. It should also showcase the different factors that may vary a person's response to the research problem while you are researching the topic. This is important in a research proposal, because as with method, different factors help show what could affect you by confirming or denying your hypothesis. Keep your design descriptive and show how you will rule out or control factors that may come up.
14. Analysis
Approx. 50-300 words. Once you have collected your data, include details about what you plan to do with it. Again, depending on the nature of your research, this section could be anywhere from one or two sentences to several paragraphs.
If your research is in a survey format, then include the questions to the survey along with the method of collecting the survey. You can also include a few examples of how you plan to present the data, such as in a pie chart format or as a bar graph.
15. Proposed chapter outline
Probably less than 200 words, unless you have a very detailed plan already in mind. Note: this is like the preliminary contents page, but it does not need to be very specific, and can suggest sections rather than chapters at this stage. The academics reading your proposal will be impressed to know that you have some idea how you may wish to present your work, and that you have some way in mind of translating your research to paper.
(title of your first chapter) (explanation of your first chapter contents: one sentence)
(first subsection of your first chapter)
(second subsection of your first chapter)
(title of your second chapter) (explanation of your second chapter contents: one sentence)
(first subsection of your second chapter)
(second subsection of your second chapter)
(smaller section)
(another small section)
(title of your third chapter) (explanation of your third chapter contents: one sentence)
16. Research limitations
Approx 50-300 words. This section states everything you won’t be able to do in your research. It is surprisingly important, as it shows that you can recognise the limited scale of your work. Every project needs distinct limiting factors and clear boundaries in order to be manageable.
Naturally, the scope of this project is limited. This section describes specific limitations. (add limitations here) .
17. Proposed Timetable
Approx 50-300 words. This section is optional, but may be helpful to show your potential supervisors that you are being realistic and recognize that your project has set parameters within which to conduct the study. It also will help you to know the scale of your work in the preliminary stages of planning, and help you to maintain realistic expectations of yourself.
I predict that this research project will take (number) months/years. I propose a rough timeline, as follows:
(Here, include a list of tasks that will need completing as part of your research project, and how long you predict each will take in terms of weeks or months. End with a final count of months. If you have a predicted start date, you can begin with this and work towards a proposed end date.)
You can also use a project schedule table in order to plan out the project for yourself as well as give a better understanding as to the breakup of the project timeline. An example of this is:
18. Funding
For example, your money allocation table can look like this:
19. References/Bibliography
The reference list should always begin on a new page. Depending on your subject, there will probably be a specific format and referencing pattern for written work (Chicago, Harvard, MLA, Social Sciences) . Before you start writing, make sure you know what the convention for your subject area is, learn it and stick to it. There are a wide variety of different referencing conventions so it is important to make sure you find the correct one and stay consistent.
This will make doing your research proposal (and future research) a lot easier. Depending on your subject, your referencing may involve in-text citations or footnotes. Either way, your proposal will need a full reference list or bibliography at the end, including all of the secondary works you have mentioned in your literature review and primary sources (if applicable) .
You do not, however, need to include work that you have read in preparation but not used or mentioned in your work. Make sure this is correctly formatted — plenty of style guides for each referencing style are available online. Also, remember to lay out your reference list in alphabetical order by the authors’ surnames.
[Researcher.FirstName] [Researcher.LastName]
How to write a research proposal?
To make a comprehensive research proposal, make sure you answer all the questions your review committee might have, such as who is your sample audience, what kind of questions you plan to ask them, why you are conducting this research, what you think will come out of it, etc. Leave no room for assumptions. Alternatively, you can also use this template to best understand which nitty-gritty details to cover.
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In a research proposal, the goal is to present the author's plan for the research they intend to conduct. In some cases, part of this goal is to secure funding for said research. In others, it's to have the research approved by the author's supervisor or department so they can move forward with it.
Sample Academic Proposals - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University Purdue OWL Graduate Writing Graduate Writing Genres Sample Academic Proposals Graduate Writing Genres Academic Proposals Abstracts Conference Presentations Submitting Journal Articles IRB Narratives Graduate School-Specific Genres Reading for Graduate School Sample Academic Proposals
Identify the importance of your research Show why you are the right person to do this research Examples of research proposals Research Proposal Example 1 (DOC, 49kB) Research Proposal Example 2 (DOC, 0.9MB) Research Proposal Example 3 (DOC, 55.5kB) Research Proposal Example 4 (DOC, 49.5kB)
Writing a Political Science, LSJ or Jackson School Paper Proposal . The purpose writing a paper proposal is to give your professor, TA, and/or peers an opportunity to provide feedback on your topic, argument, and research goals. Perhaps most importantly, a paper proposal requires you to narrow your topic and begin formulating the argument you ...
A Sample Research Proposal with Comments A research project or thesis will take at least two semesters to complete. Prior to starting a research, i.e. enrolling in the first semester research course, students must go through the proposal stage, during which students will develop their proposal and have it reviewed by his/her research advisor. ...
Below is a list of the different ways and examples of writing research proposals. If you use any of the following formats, the professor will be satisfied. They include: Example 1: Example 2: Example 3: Example 4: Example 5: Example 6: Example 7: Example 8: Example 9: Example 10: Example 11: Don't have time to finish?
Research Paper Proposal For JURI495 and 496, the research issue that you select must encompass at least two disciplines, law and a liberal arts discipline such as history, philosophy or political science. ... Sample Student Research Proposals 2008-2009 Senior Seminar Dorothy Kenney JURI 495 Dr. Tayler Introduction
Sample Proposal Argument Sample Proposal Argument Now that you have had the chance to learn about writing a proposal argument, it's time to see what one might look like. Below, you'll see a sample proposal argumentative essay written using APA 7 th edition formatting guidelines. Click the image below to open a PDF of the sample paper. << Previous
Below are examples of how different sections of the research paper are drafted. Research Proposal Example A research proposal is a plan that describes what you will investigate, its significance, and how you will conduct the study. Research Proposal Sample (PDF) Abstract Research Paper Example
Running Head: SOCIAL MEDIA AND SMART DEVICE USE 1 Social Media and Smart Device Use and Their Effects on the Mental Health of College Students Fall 2018 Student Kean University Abstract The dramatic increase in use of social media platforms and smart devices is linked with a positive correlation to increased mental health issues among young adults. A mixed-methods approach with an after-only ...
In general, however, there are fairly universal sections to every scientific research proposal. These include: Title: Make sure the title of your proposal is descriptive and concise. Make it catch and informative at the same time, avoiding dry phrases like, "An investigation…". Your title should pique the interest of the reader.
Research Proposal White Paper Example Details File Format MS Word Google Docs Size: 83 KB Download Research Project Proposal Example Details File Format MS Word Google Docs Apple Pages PDF Size: 57 KB Download Research Budget Proposal Template Details File Format MS Word Apple Pages PDF Size: 52 KB Download Scientific Research Proposal Example
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221 Research Proposal examples are found Censorship of Internet Users and Online Protestors in China, Research Proposal Example Research Questions: How do the censorship policies of the CCP affect the general activities of Chinese citizens on social media? China is well-known for its censorship policies, which extend to [...] Pages: 6 Words: 1720
Show the audience that you know what you are doing. The more prepared you look the better your chances are to get the proposal passed (or get a better grade if it is for a class). 8. Conclusion. Do not restate your introduction here if you choose to mention the "history" of a certain proposal.
Research Proposal Format Example Following is a general outline of the material that should be included in your project proposal. I. Title Page II. Introduction and Literature Review (Chapters 2 and 3) A. Identification of specific problem area (e.g., what is it, why it is important). B. Prevalence, scope of problem. C.
Research paper proposals must provide an estimated budget and cost for the research in order to be eligible for funding. This has various components, including the amount of money required and how it should be allocated. 5. Conclusion. When you've reached your conclusion, summarize all you've said thus far.
This sample is a very basic version of a research proposal. It can be a challenge to write, but it's necessary to learn how to craft one early on in your academic career, as it is the basis of other types of proposals, such as the thesis proposal, that many students will eventually have to learn. The one that you need to write may be much ...
Research Proposal Examples Research Proposal Topics What is a Research Proposal? As per the research proposal definition, it is a concise summary of your research paper. It introduces the general idea of your research by highlighting the questions and issues you are going to address in your paper.
Some Good Examples of Research Proposals I. Starting the Proposal Process A. Preliminary Considerations Many students and novice researchers, unfortunately, do not completely comprehend what a research proposal means, nor do they recognize its value. At any rate, it is safe to say that a research project is only as good as its proposal.
As a college student, essay assignments are the norm. But a research proposal may sound strange-- especially if you are a newbie. If that's the case, an APA. Tools. The fastest way to explore what INK has to offer. AI Writer Award winning long form document editor.
The five steps in this article will help you put together an effective introduction for either type of research paper. Table of contents Step 1: Introduce your topic Step 2: Describe the background Step 3: Establish your research problem Step 4: Specify your objective (s) Step 5: Map out your paper Research paper introduction examples
A research proposal is a simply a structured, formal document that explains what you plan to research (i.e. your research topic), why it's worth researching (i.e. your justification), and how you plan to investigate it (i.e. your practical approach). The purpose of the research proposal (it's job, so to speak) is to convince your research ...
Here is a short breakdown of the APA proposal format: 12-point font Times New Roman. Double-spaced. 1-inch margins. An APA running head (limited to 50 characters) A title page with the paper's title (no more than 12 words in length), your name, and the name of your institution.
research paper proposal outline may look a little different here are some popular styles you ll see in university apa when drafting your paper using ... research proposal examples for college students essays io Jul 15 2021 web electronic cigarettes vs commercial cigarettes research proposal example
There are numerous types of research proposals that you can write based on your research work. Select the right type of research proposal according to the aim and purpose of your proposed research project. 2. Designate a Title for the Research Proposal. Make sure that you designate a compelling title in your proposal.
Many businesses today are embracing strategic management and innovation to increase competitiveness in the market (Baporikar, 2014). Adapting strategic management choices that incorporate change is essential for a business to compete in the local and international markets (Abosede et al., 2016).
Depending on the length of your research proposal, you may wish to include a contents page for the proposal itself (not for your main research project: suggested contents for this are included in your Proposed Chapter Outline, section 9), as follows (add page numbers/subsections when you know them, depending on your research).As you introduce sub-sections into your different sections, number ...