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How to Write a Research Proposal. Simple to Learn

A research proposal is a comprehensive and complete summary of the research you are proposing. It distinguishes the main questions and issues, which you are planning to address. It creates an outline of the central idea of your study and refers to particular fields of knowledge. Moreover, it aims to show why your research is original. It’s not surprising that so many scholars need college students help with this task!

A research proposal is one of the most important papers, which you submit during your application process. It shows that you have enough skills and knowledge according to your academic level and that you can render your ideas in a critical and clear way. In addition, such a proposal helps to match the chosen field of interest with a particular supervisor.

Tips on Writing a Research Proposal

Now, when you know what paper proposal is, it is the right time to learn how to make it perfect. The first step is creating a viable and comprehensive plan of your research to give the tutor information on what you are going to discuss in your work.

Once you have a clear plan of actions, you should pay attention to the following tips:

What Should You Include in the Proposal?

It doesn’t matter whether you are a high school student, a sophomore, or a Ph.D.: you will need to write a proposal if you write academic research. Luckily, not depending on your major and year of studies, such work will typically consist of the following elements:

Title

Don’t worry if you don’t come up with an outstanding title at once. You can change and adjust it during writing. Moreover, even experienced authors rewrite titles of their works a dozen times before the final version comes out.

If you lack ideas, you can find an example on the chosen subject online and get fresh ideas for your own work.

Abstract

Your proposal must contain a brief (no longer than 100 words) explanation of the research you are willing to conduct. These may be several sentences on the discussed problem and the main questions you are planning to address.

Context

In this section, you will need to give a broader picture of the discussed topic. It can be an overview of the area of study or background information on the subject. This means that you should summarize the current situation in the field and provide recent arguments of opposing sides. This will help you to show that you are familiar with the field.

Research questions

Your proposal must contain the main questions and aims that will guide the reader through your paper. Before writing the proposal, it is necessary to think of the questions, which you are willing to answer.

Many proposals are too broad, so being able to detect key questions is a great chance to show that your topic is feasible and focused.

A great idea will be to prioritize a few central questions and then to write down secondary ones. Your proposal should also explain whether your research will be theoretical, doctrinal, or empirical one.

Methods

Your proposal should also contain information on how you are planning to conduct research. The methodology may include going to archives or libraries, holding interviews, or fieldwork.

Majority of research works are based on libraries. If yours is one of them, you need to explain in the proposal where your main sources are located and what their types are.

If your research is based on data collection, you need to explain who you will survey and how many interviews are needed.

Research significance

Your proposal should show that the planned research is original and important. For example, write about how your research will contribute to the field.

Bibliography

Your proposal should also contain a brief bibliography with the most important works on the topic.

Get your Complete Research Proposal

For most of the students, research works and proposals become a real headache. If you are one of them and you worry that you won’t manage the task on time, you can always turn to our writing company.

We are here to cope with any assignment you may have. This means that you will no longer have to cope with the lack of credible sources, copyright, and complex in-book citations.

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Where to Start? Easy Steps

Writing a proposal is not as challenging as it may seem at first, so if you are willing to succeed, you just need to follow simple tips below.

Get familiar with requirements

Before getting started, you should review all of the guidelines and deadlines to make sure that you have understood the assignment correctly. Make sure that the proposal is attainable and that you are well aware of all the demands.

If you have any doubts or questions, don’t hesitate to turn to your supervisor or tutor. They are always happy to help because they have already been in such a situation and know how puzzled you may be.

Choose a topic you are interested in

A topic, which lights your inner fire is definitely a great plus. You will be more motivated and interested in the research, and it will give fruitful results, especially in times, when you will feel like quitting.

If you know a certain topic well enough, you will be able to identify the trends and patterns in literature, to detect popular topics and concepts, to know who the main researchers and contributors are, and to detect what areas will get the most benefits from the research.

Conduct a comprehensive literature review

A thorough analysis of sources shows that you have a deep understanding of the topic and can be trusted. It is very important to detect what has been tested and tried in the chosen field and put aside irrelevant questions or topics that have already been discussed.

You should also remember that it is necessary to persuade the committee that your work is important and needs to be done. There is no better chance to do that then to show how well you have worked on the sources. Give background information to explain why your topic is important and that you are qualified enough to conduct the research.

Finalize the research question

When starting your work, you will most likely have an objective of the research in your head. However, it may change several times until you collect more information on the topic. The more data and knowledge you have, the easier it will be to build a research question that will cover the field of your interest and will be relevant for the subject or course.

Work on the outline

You probably know that outlines are a real treasure because help students to understand how the paper should look like and what elements it must contain.

Start with writing down the key points you want to include to your proposal and then add supporting evidence and statements for every point. However, you need to remember that it is a proposal, not research itself.

Research Paper Proposal Example

One of the easiest and most effective ways of learning how to write a proposal, to prioritize information or to make a reference list is to get familiar with online templates.

We have one of the best databases on the Internet, and you can find a necessary sample within minutes. We offer works that got the highest grade, so there isn’t a chance that you will detect any mistakes.

Just check a ready template, learn how to structure your proposal, and get additional inspiration without any worries!