Your Guide to Effective Research Proposals: Free Templates

 

Student name:
Student number:
Email and mobile:
Date:

 

Introduction

Background and context

 

Set the scene by providing some background contextual information for the reader. Explain any core concepts and/or terminology so that someone who is not a topic expert will have the necessary information to understand the research problem that you will present (in the next section.

 

Problem statement/research problem

 

Based on the background and context that you’ve just presented, clearly explain and articulate the research problem that you will ultimately aim to address/solve. You may feel that your problem is obvious, but you still need to make it explicit here. Don’t assume that the reader will connect the dots - always write for the non-expert reader.

 

Research rationale

 

Here you need to clearly explain what value your research will create, both to the research/academic community as well as practitioners. Clearly state who will benefit from your research, how they’ll benefit and, if possible, how much they’ll benefit. Consider all stakeholders.

 

Research aims, research objectives and research questions

 

Based on all of the above, clearly state your research aims and objectives. If required, also state your specific research questions.

 

Other

 

If there are any other components that your university specifically requires you to discuss in the introduction section, include those here. This may include things such as hypotheses, personal motivations, or something else. Depending on what they are, you may wish to merge them with the preceding sections.

Literature Review

 

Theoretical framework (AKA the foundation of theory)

 

A theoretical framework is a set of concepts and ideas that are used to explain, understand, and guide your study. It provides a way of organising your study within a broader context of existing knowledge and theory.   Start off by discussing and synthesing the key theories, models and frameworks that will form the theoretical foundation of your study. Clearly define and justify all the constructs that you will work with and make sure that any potentially ambiguous terms are defined.

 

Empirical research

 

In this section, discuss and synthesise the findings of empirical (evidence-based) studies that are relevant to your proposed study. If your topic is very novel, look at adjacent literature (i.e. research investigating similar or the same constructs within a different context).   In terms of structure, you may wish to present this thematically, chronologically or methodologically.

 

Research gap

 

Based on the two previous components, clearly articulate the research gap. It may seem obvious, but you still need to build a clear, strong argument as to what type of gap exists and why that’s meaningful.

Methodology

 

Opening section

 

It’s a good idea to present a brief introduction and overview regarding your methodology upfront. For example, you could state that you will take either a qualitative or quantitative approach (and why). Keep this section brief.

 

Data collection

 

Clearly describe how you will collect your data - e.g. survey, interviews, focus groups, etc. Justify why you chose this approach and how this will help you achieve your broader research aim(s).

 

Sampling

 

Clearly describe and justify your sampling strategy. Which sampling method will you adopt and why? What will your sample size be and how will you ensure that you achieve this?

 

Data Analysis

 

Describe in as much detail as possible how you will prepare, clean and analyse the data that you will collect. Try to be as specific as possible regarding your actual analysis method - for example:   ●       Qualitative - thematic analysis, content analysis, narrative analysis, etc. ●       Quantitative - descriptive stats, inferential stats, etc.   For each choice, provide a clear, well-argued justification as to why that is the best option, given your resources.

 

Other

 

If there are any other components that your university specifically requires you to discuss in the methodology section, be sure to include them, either here or as part of the preceding sections. This may include things like:   ●       Research philosophy ●       Research design (e.g., case study, descriptive, correlational, etc.) ●       Limitations ●       Ethical considerations

 

Practicalities

 

Dissertation/thesis outline or structural overview

 

If required by your university, provide a brief outline of how you will structure your dissertation, thesis or final research project. Try to provide more than just a bullet-point outline though - explain with a line or two, what you’ll cover in each section.

 

Project plan and timelines

 

If required by your university, provide a provisional project plan for your actual study, outlining the core activities, stages, etc. Consider using a Gantt chart to articulate the timeline you’re working on.

 

Budget

 

If required by your university, provide a basic budget for your project. If you are applying for funding, you need to pay particular attention to this section and be as thorough as possible.

 

Other considerations

 

Other things that you may consider including within the proposal (not necessarily this section):   -        Provisional research title -        Anticipated outcomes -        Dissemination strategy -        Abstract or exec summary -        Personal statement

 

References & Appendices

 

Close off your document by providing a full reference list in the format prescribed by your institution (for example, Harvard referencing, APA, MLA, etc.).

 

Be sure to use reference manager software to handle this aspect of your document. If you’re not familiar with the options, we recommend using Mendeley or Zotero. They are both free to use and ensure that your referencing is correct. You can learn about both in our free videos:

 

●       Mendeley 

●       Zotero

 

If applicable, the final component will be your appendices. This can typically be used to include supporting but non-essential information. However, check what your university expects and don’t expect the appendices to earn you any marks.