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Preparing a research proposal

Before you write a research proposal, the best first step would be to provide a 500 word outline of your proposed research project. Forward this to any academic you feel would best suit your project – you can find contact details for staff in the subject websites. If you receive a positive response, you should then look to submit a formal application in the form of a research proposal.

What is a research proposal?

Your research proposal needs to outline the nature of your proposed PhD study and give some indication of how you will conduct your research. It is an integral part of the PhD application process, so it is certainly worth investing time and energy into it.

Your research proposal should leave a positive first impression upon the reader about your ‘fitness’ to study a PhD. It is  your  project, so it is important to demonstrate leadership in this first stage of the application process. An ideal proposal should leave the reader feeling in no doubt that you have done some preliminary research about your subject and that you are knowledgeable and ready to tackle the challenges of the PhD.

Give your proposal your utmost attention and time, but also be realistic ‐ you are not expected to know everything at this stage. Your proposal can also be flexible. It is not a contract. Always ask someone else to read your proposal before you submit it, and to offer you some critical but supportive feedback.

Remember that a research proposal is about what  you  want to study; it immediately reflects your initial understanding of, and commitment to, PhD study. A research proposal can and should make a positive and powerful first impression about your potential to become a good researcher.

Importantly, the main purpose is to enable the university to assess whether you are a good ‘match’ for our supervisors and our areas of research expertise.

Therefore, in a good research proposal you will need to demonstrate two main things:

• that you are capable of  independent critical thinking and analysis
• that you are capable of  communicating your ideas clearly

Applying for a PhD is like applying for a job, you are not applying for a taught programme.

When you start a PhD you will become a valued researcher in an academic department. Through your research proposal your colleagues want to know whether they can work with you, and whether your ideas are focussed, interesting and realistic. Try and impress them!

Your proposal should be indicative and it should  outline  your areas of interest and your general insight into the research topic. You are  not  expected to be an expert and to be familiar with all the specific details of your subject. However, you are expected to have a good level of knowledge about the subject and where you might make a valuable contribution to research. The perfect research proposal should leave the reader interested, excited and wanting to find out more about your ideas, and about you!

6 steps to a successful research proposal

A good research proposal should not be complicated. However, it can be challenging to write and it is important to get right. A PhD is challenging, so it is good training working on your research proposal. Although there is no exact prescribed format for a general research proposal (across all subjects), a research proposal should generally include  six  main sections, as detailed below:

1)      A clear working title for your research project

• What will you call your project?
• What key words would describe your proposal?

2)      A clear statement about what you want to work on and why it is important, interesting, relevant and realistic

• What are your main research objectives? These could be articulated as hypotheses, propositions, research questions, or problems to solve
• What difference do you think your research will make?
• Why does this research excite you?
• What research ‘gaps’ will you be filling by undertaking your project?
• How might your research ‘add value’ to the subject?
• Is your research achievable in the time allocated? (e.g. 3 years full‐time)

3)      Some background knowledge and context of the area in which you wish to work, including key literature, key people, key research findings

• How does your work link to the work of others in the same field or related fields?
• Would your work support or contest the work of others?
• How does your work relate to the expertise within the department you are applying to?

4)      Some consideration of the methods/approach you might use

• How will you conduct your research?
• Will you use existing theories, new methods/approaches or develop new methods/approaches?
• How might you design your project to get the best results/findings?

5)      Some indication of the strategy and timetable for your research project and any research challenges you may face

• What would be the main stages of your project?
• What would you be expecting to do in each year of your PhD?
• What challenges might you encounter and how might your overcome these?

6)      A list of the key references which support your research proposal

• References should be listed in the appropriate convention for your subject area (e.g. Harvard). Such references should be used throughout your research proposal to demonstrate that you have read and understood the work of others
• Other relevant material that you are aware of, but not actually used in writing your proposal, can also be added as a bibliography

All of the above six sections are important but section 2 is particularly important because in any research project, establishing your main purpose represents the whole basis for completing the research programme. Therefore, the value of your proposed research is assessed in relation to your research aims and objectives.

How long should a good research proposal be?

A good research proposal is as long as it takes, but a guide would be 1000-2000 words. Remember that it is meant to be an accurate overview, not a thesis, so you need to provide enough detail for the reader to understand it. A paragraph would not be enough and 5000 words likely too much.

The '3Cs' rule

When you have written your research proposal, ask a friend to read it critically and provide you with feedback. Also, ask yourself whether it follows the '3Cs' rule:

CLEAR : is what you have written intelligible and clearly articulated? Does it make sense, or is it vague and confusing? Does your proposal leave the reader with a clear sense of the purpose and direction of your research project?

CONCISE : have you written your proposal in a succinct and focussed way?

COHERENT : does your proposal link together well so that it tells the reader a short story about what you want to do, why you want to do it and how you will do it?

If you can answer all of these questions with confidence, you have probably put together a good proposal.

Writing a Compelling Proposal in the Arts or Humanities

Some undergraduate research experiences may just fall in your lap (if you are just flat-out hired by a faculty mentor). Some may require an application process as if they were an “internship.” But if you’re lucky you may get to write a full research proposal. That may seem harder, but it’s a hugely useful preparation for any kind of grant writing you may have to do later in life. The best advice is always to follow the instructions in the proposal guidelines closely. Don’t forget a part, and don’t assume that your readers will know that you have covered something if you bury it in a general discussion. Be methodical and use lots of subheadings; this is not the beautiful essay you usually write.

Your proposal guidelines may ask for anything, but here are the most likely topics and how you can think about them. If your proposal asks for an abstract, please see our guide to writing an abstract .

Proposed Work/Goal

What is the goal of the project and why is achieving this goal important.

The goal of your project is not the same as the work you will do. That is, research and creative activity are not themselves the goal . Ask yourself what your scholarship or creative activity will contribute to human thought. If your goal includes a formal outcome such as an essay, a draft of a novel, or a collection of poems, you can mention this here (though you should make it the center of the section on Outcomes). But make sure you focus on the intellectual or creative achievement.

Bad : “My goal is to study Oscar Wilde.”

Good : “I want to determine how much (and what kind) of an impact Oscar Wilde had on the public’s awareness of homosexuality in his lifetime.”

Bad : My goal is to create some oil paintings about the environment.

Good : My goal is to expose our society’s implicit anthropocentrism through a series of paintings that reverse our traditional perspectives on Nature.

Background/Introduction

How does this project fit into work that has already been done by you or/and others, what is the strategy for completing this project, what do you wish to gain from this experience.

It’s worthwhile to explain how you personally will gain from the experience and how it will contribute to your intellectual development, but most organizations also want to see formal outcomes such as anticipated presentations, publication, etc. If you are required to be working toward a thesis, or if you are required to present at a campus-wide celebration of research, make sure you include those as outcome (don’t assume that your readers will fill in the “automatic” stuff) What if you’re not sure what outcomes are? Then think about this. If your project is as important as you say, then you should think about what would demonstrate that you have succeeded. If you are in the arts, you have a slightly easier job because your creations are your outcomes, but you should be as specific as possible. What exactly are you expecting to create? Don’t be afraid to specify numbers — no grant is going to “fire” you if you produce slightly more or slightly less than you planned.

What is the timeframe for completing this project?

If, as is likely, your project involves lots of reading, writing, or creative activity, you may feel a little frustrated with a detailed timeline. But this is the place to show those reading your proposal that your goals are achievable in the timeframe and that you have smaller goals along the way. Think about how you and your advisors will know that you are on track, that you are proceeding at the right pace, etc. Then write it down.

Use the MLA or Chicago format.

Check out these other guides from CURAH:

• How to write an abstract
• How to make a poster
• A list of regional and national conferences where you can present your work

2 thoughts on “Writing a Compelling Proposal in the Arts or Humanities”

This is a great article to share with undergraduates — thanks!

“What is the strategy for completing this project?

If your project is a creative one, you can emphasize your strategy for creating, though you may want to explain how some reading will be a part of your development of the project. If your project is scholarly, you should emphasize the reading and research you’ll do. ..” This article (blog?) is very good and it will be exceptionally useful for today’s undergraduates in the arts, but it seems to preclude “research” that does not involve reading and writing. “Arts-Based Research” is still an unfamiliar concept to many at the faculty level, and it would be helpful to include creative research that involves observation, experience and practice. Several years ago when I first began to introduce the idea of UR to my studio colleagues, I heard comments such as “ok, I’ll make my painting students write a paper….” This is a fantastic resource, and including additional types of “research” will make a lot of sense to BFA students.

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Proposal writting guideline

The following are some guidelines to adhere to:

You and your Study Leader should have come up with a concise well-focused title that is context specific and demarcated in a meaningful way

Introduction

In your introduction, you are attempting to inform the reader about the rationale behind the work, justifying why your work is an essential component of research in the field. You should define your problem in the introduction. By the end of the introduction, the reader should know exactly what you are trying to achieve The first sentence should be a broad generalization of your specific topic that you are writing about. You should introduce the title with a well-researched topical sentence that relates to the title and sets the context for your paper in the first sentence of the introduction The next few sentences of your introduction should become increasingly more focused on your topic, thereby narrowing the scope of your subject with each sentence Present your ideas in the introduction in a theoretical/academic context showing evidence of adequate research on your title The introduction should therefore be a mini literature review on the overview of your title It is necessary to use several introductory paragraphs to sufficiently introduce the contents of your paper in the introduction Your research thesis should be the last sentence of your introduction. This is a statement that summarize your entire paper in just one sentence

Formulation of Research Problem (half a paragraph not more than a page)

After providing a clear introduction your problem, stating your problem stating your problem should be simple. Your problem statement as the word goes should be one sentence accompanied by at most two paragraphs that elaborate on the problem. The statement may be in a declarative or in a question form A persuasive statement of problem should be written in three parts:

Part A (The ideal): Describes a desired goal or ideal situation; explains how things should be (provide evidence in literature)

Part B (The reality): Describes the present condition that prevents the goal, state, or value in Part A from being achieved or realized at this time; explains how the current situation in your study falls short of the goal or ideal. Outline the problem – what is the key issue? Explain why you think this is worth investigating

Part C (The consequences): State your problem in a sentence and identifies the way you propose to improve the current situation and move it closer to the goal

Aim and objectives

Aims are statement of intent written in broad terms. Aims set out what you hope to achieve at the end of the project. In other words, the aim is your title in reverse

Objectives describe how you are going to achieve those aims. They should be SMART It is advisable to limit these objectives to three and not more than five at this level Research questions

Your research questions set the goal for your research. It is advisable to limit the research questions to three and not more than five at this level. Research questions are in question form as the word indicates. The number of objectives stated must relate to the number of research questions The questions should focus of the title and topic The questions have the potential to contribute to the gap in the study

Importance of the study

Provide the gap of knowledge about the title and how your study will help fill the gap Brief definitions of concepts

Ensure that all concepts used are briefly defined

Delimitation

Ensure that the boundaries of the research should be clearly stated

Research methodology

            Approach Differentiate and choose one either qualitative quantitative or mind your re advised to choose one and fully explain what the approach is and why you chose this approach. The choice of approach will be influenced by the aim of your study

            Research design

Indicate design chosen and explain why providing references it may be survey case study, experimental etc.

            Data collection tools

Indicate data collection tool chosen and explain why providing references Note that the type of approach and design informs the choice of tools.

            Population and sampling

This should be meaningfully described The total number of population should be stated and sampling procedures meaningfully describe. Note that the type of approach and design informs the choice of population and sampling.

            Data analysis method

The method of data analysis chosen and the reason for the choice should be explained. Note that the type of data analysis chosen is informed by the choice of research approach

Validity, reliability, trustworthiness and ethical considerations

The type of approach informs validity, reliability, and trustworthiness. For example, validity and reliability are only used in quantitative studies and issues of trustworthiness are used in qualitative studies

Literature review

Literature should relevant, important, and balanced. It should be related to your topic and your research questions

It should include a discussion of all your research questions Use a descriptive writing approach Describe the existing and established theory and research about your topic in your review providing a context for your work. Show where you are filling a perceived gap in the existing theory or knowledge Accurately references all sources mentioned in the literature and gives a full citation in the Reference List. References

Provide at least 20 sources related to the research topic and at least 8 different sources on methodology

All Annexure A items should be included at the end of assignment 02

Technical aspects

Format work accordingly, ensure that the following are in place:

Table of contents Page numbers Readability and scientific writing style Logical structure Division into sections with thoughtful supporting sentences that develop the main idea

Careful editing/proofing

The reference below is useful

Walliman, N 2014 Your undergraduate dissertation: the essential guide for success. 2nd ed. Los Angeles: SAGE

Prof MC Fombad,UNISA

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Research proposal - template

Template for research proposals in connection with applications for a position as postdoc, PhD candidate or researcher

All research proposals must be based on this template. Research proposals must not exceed 14,000 characters including spaces.

Applications with a research proposal longer than 14,000 characters will not be considered.  

Title of the project

• Main objective and summary of the project (Present the main objective of your project and a brief summary, explaining how you intend to attain this goal. The purpose is to give the reader sufficient information to decide whether the project is of interest.)
• Background to the project (Provide a brief account of the existing knowledge in the field the project is part of and show how the project will contribute to new knowledge. Explain how your project is relevant to the research at the Faculty of Humanities – for individual researchers, research groups or projects.)
• Theoretical framework (Outline the theoretical foundation of the project and the reasons you have chosen this particular foundation.)
• Research question(s) and expected findings (hypothesis) (Describe the question(s) you want to answer through your project, and briefly outline what answer(s) you expect to find on the basis of previous research and theoretical background. Your research questions and hypotheses should focus and delimit the topic.)
• Methods and research ethics (Give an account of the methodological foundation for your project. Discuss any research-ethical problems linked to the project with reference to the Guidelines for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities . Describe the underlying data and source material that will be used and how these will be collected and analysed)
• Proposed dissemination (Outline your proposed outputs: your plans for communicating / publishing your project – articles, monographs, lectures, etc.)
• Progress plan (Outline briefly how you intend to organise your work over the duration of the project, including any planned or anticipated periods of study/as a guest researcher outside the University of Oslo and/or field work. For PhD: We do not expect you to know about individual courses, seminars, etc. that will be included in the training component.)

Total: no more than 14,000 characters (including spaces). It is up to you to decide how they are distributed among the different sections of the research proposal. In addition, your research proposal may also include:

• Literature references (max 3,000 characters) (The reference list must be sorted alphabetically by author.)

To count the number of characters in a text in MS Word, go to Review, and select Word Count. 14,000 characters with spaces is just under five pages of text written in Times, 12 point type, with one and a half line spacing.

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Writing Research Proposals for the Social Sciences and Humanities in a Higher Education Context

2019, Cambridge Scholars Publishing

A research proposal is a plan that a candidate submits to gain approval for post-graduate research. Although it is a typical requirement for any research in higher education, it has failed to receive the attention it is due from the academic community as a procedure of systematic teaching and learning. This book provides a support framework with step-by-step guidance about what constitutes a good research proposal and what can be done to maximize our chances of writing a successful application. It also presents advice and practical activities to enhance skill development. The book doesn’t offer any short and safe route to getting the task done. Instead, it proposes a rather balanced perspective, where by success is within reach if we are willing to face our flaws and grasp how to use the available information productively and persuasively. This endeavour is supported with a good number of authentic, annotated proposals at various stages of their development.

Related Papers

Anas Iftikhar

Admission into a higher degree research program or confirmation of candidature into such a program of most universities often requires the applicant to submit a research proposal. This is a very important document which not only articulates the research topic and research question, but also explains the research design which outlines how the proposed research will be carried out. The significance of the research proposal is highlighted by the fact that failure to write a good research proposal may mean failure to be admitted into a higher degree research program, or failure to be confirmed as a continuing doctoral candidate. In spite of such significance, however, my experience when supervising many higher degree research students is that many of them struggle to write a good research proposal. One of the contributing factors to this is the apparent void that exists in research methods textbooks on exactly what a research proposal is and how it should be written. This paper aims to help fill that void by articulating a detailed structure of a research proposal that could be used as part of the application to gain admission into a higher degree research program of any good university or for confirmation of candidature in such a research study program. The paper draws on the expertise accumulated on this topic as a result of many decades of writing research proposals for higher degree research projects, conducting many higher degree research studies successfully in several universities in Australia and other countries, teaching research methods to higher degree research students and supervising many successful masters and doctoral theses. The paper concludes, that while there is no 'one-size-fits-all' research proposal, a careful design of a higher degree research proposal along the structure discussed in this paper should improve one's chances of success greatly.

FOREX Publication

FOREX Publication , Mohd Akhter Ali , M Kamraju

Writing an effective research proposal is crucial for individuals pursuing higher degree research in higher education. This paper presents best practices for crafting such proposals, providing guidance to aspiring researchers. The paper begins with an overview of the higher degree research landscape and highlights the significance of research proposals within this context. It then delves into the key elements of an effective research proposal, emphasizing the importance of a clear research question, comprehensive literature review, appropriate research methodology, and expected outcomes. The paper also offers practical advice on writing techniques, organization, and communication to enhance the proposal's effectiveness. Furthermore, it addresses common challenges and pitfalls encountered during the proposal writing process, providing strategies to overcome them. Institutional guidelines and requirements are discussed, along with ethical considerations and research governance obligations. Case studies and examples are included to illustrate successful research proposals, analyzing their strengths and characteristics. In conclusion, this paper underscores the importance of an effective research proposal for higher degree research and provides valuable insights and recommendations for future researchers.

abasynuniv.edu.pk

Flora Maleki

Javed Iqbal

Journal Academica, Volume 1, July 2010, p. 1-5. [ISSN 2026 559X]

What is the purpose of a Research proposal, its components and how should it be presented? In the following we briefly consider all these issues which have been a challenge to students who are to submit no research proposal before embarking on a Research Project for a partial fulfillment of conditions for the award of a degree by their respective institutions.

Sri Lanka Journal of Management Studies

N.J. Dewasiri

This eminent professor of Political Science has addressed a significant issue encountered by many postgraduate students and researchers in undertaking serious research in the disciplines of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Management in Sri Lanka. It is available in both English and Sinhala languages. He has addressed a wide spectrum of concerns related to writing a research proposal that covers research philosophies, methodology as well as methods in academic research. Guided by the scientific method, it presents ten comprehensive chapters that define the key elements of a marketable research proposal as well as sheds light on the key skills in writing such as winning proposals. It also covers the bibliography and glossary of key terms at the end. As the book is handy, it can be used as a practical handbook at all levels of academic research.

Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research

morrin phiri

Education India: A Quarterly Refereed Journal of Dialogues on Education

Shubham kumar Sanu , Vishwa Raj Sharma , Dr Mukesh Kumar , Smriti Shreya

Writing a research proposal for an early career researcher is one of the toughest part of research work. A research proposal is a blueprint to conduct research work and a well-structured proposal provides smooth functioning for the proposed research. Generally, young researchers face various types of problem in structuring a good research proposal in absence of proper guidelines, steps and strategies. This paper aims to provide a general guideline to the students and researchers to develop a wellstructured research proposal for the purpose of PhD/dissertation/research projects, etc. The concept and significance of a research proposal, how to start research work, the process of producing and appropriate sections for a good research proposal has been discussed in great detail.

S M Mukarram Jahan

A research proposal is a serious statement that addresses a researcher’s intent to conduct a study on a phenomenon and a plan about how to perform the research. Students usually undertake research under the guidance of a supervisor from faculty in tandem with assistance and supervision of other faculty members. Thus, the proposal should be a clear statement of intent that aims at elucidating the plan of research to make it feasible and acceptable for all parties concerned. The most essential characteristic of a research proposal is that it should be sufficient to present the researcher’s idea or question and expected outcomes with clarity and definition (the what). It should also make a case for the reason the researcher’s focus of study is significant and the value that it will bring to the discipline under study (the why).

moawia A alshiek

After more than a decade of teaching the course of research skills, I believe that the need for reference works on proposal writing for students and researchers is an essential handout. Not only to acquire the ability to write successful researched proposals but also to share my experience with them. The purpose of this review is to screen research skills literature to identify how and why proposals are written. Ultimately, to provide a document that guides students and researchers to write an effective proposal for their research projects. I found following accredited proposal guidelines will help to produce an effective successful document. However, there is no one single format but general template. Every institution, journal or funding agency has its own format. But all have this sequence: introduction, objectives, methodology, workplan, budget, references and annexes. 1) Background: There is no single formula for a strong effective proposal. There are a number of precepts that are consistently found in successful proposals. The sooner one learns them, the better. (1) When a social scientist desires to conduct an experiment, he first develops a proposal. The proposal introduces the problem, the significance of a study as well as the experimenter's research question and hypothesis. It also gives a brief explanation of the theory guiding the study, a review of relevant literature pertaining to the theory, and the procedure for the experiment. (2) The goal of a research proposal is to present and justify the need to study a research problem. As well as, to show design elements and procedures for conducting the research. It goes without saying the proposal must provide persuasive evidence that a need exists for the proposed study. (3)

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