How to write a Research Proposal? with Proper Definition and Brief Explanation

A research proposal is a document that proposes a research project on a specific topic. A research proposal describes the research process from start to finish. It presents core issues or questions that need to be addressed by your research proposal.                                                               How to write a Research Proposal

“A research proposal must contain all the key elements involved in the research process; Introduction, literature review, discussion of the methodology and objectives of the research, conclusion and bibliography are the main elements that must be included in a research proposal.”

What is a research proposal?

A research proposal is a short and understandable summary of the proposed research study. It is the proposed study design and is prepared at the beginning of a research project. A research proposal presents the core problems or questions that you intend to address in your research and describes the general area of ​​study within which your study falls. It also describes the practical methods and ways of conducting the research study and justifies the need for the proposed research study. 

A research proposal generally follows the same format as a research paper and includes an introduction, literature review, discussion of the research methodology and objectives, and a conclusion.

How to write a research proposal

Your research proposal should include the following components:

• Qualification
• Summary
• Introduction
• Literature review
• Research Design and Method
• Importance of research
• conclusion
• Bibliography

We will see how to write each of the components in the following sections:

Qualification                                      How to write a Research Proposal

You must select an appropriate title for your planned research study. This must be chosen with great care. The title should be brief, but complete and descriptive, clearly explaining the research topic. This title may be revised during the course of your research study.

Summary

An abstract is a short summary of approximately 300 words. It should include the research question, the rationale for the study, hypotheses, methods, and main findings.

Introduction

The introduction provides the necessary context or background for your research problem and explains the importance of your research. You can begin the introduction with a general statement of the research area, focusing on a specific research problem. This can be followed by the rationale or justification for the proposed study. It includes the following elements:

• State the research problem and the purpose of the study.
• Present the rationale for the proposed study.
• Describe the main problems and sub-problems that your research will address
• State your hypothesis or theory.
• Explain how you intend to carry out the proposed study.
• Establish the delimitation or limits of the proposed investigation.
• Provide definitions of key concepts, if necessary

Literature review

The literature review is an accurate and complete summary of the current state of research that is connected to your research study. Literature review can also be combined with the introduction. A good literature review is a critical discussion that shows the writer’s knowledge of relevant theories and approaches and an awareness of contrasting arguments. It must contain the following elements:

• Comparing and contrasting points of view of different researchers.
• Grouping researchers with similar conclusions.
• Identifying areas where researchers disagree
• Critique of the methodology of the reviewed studies.
• Highlighting Exemplary Studies
• Highlighting gaps in research.
• Indicating the connection between your proposed study and previous studies
• Indicating how your project will contribute to the literature in general.
• Summarizing what the literature indicates at the end.

Research Design and Method

This part is very important because it explains your work plan and describes the activities necessary to complete your research study. The Research Method section should have enough information so that readers of the research proposal can determine whether your methodology is robust. This section should typically contain the following details:

1. Design: describe what type of design you have chosen, i.e. a questionnaire, lab experiments, interviews, etc.
2. Subjects or participants: explain what type of sampling procedures you plan to use and / or who will participate in your project
3. Instruments: indicate what type of measurement instruments or questionnaires you are going to use and explain how they are reliable and valid.
4. Procedure: Describe how you plan to conduct the study, the activities involved, and the general time frame.

Importance of research

Even if you haven’t done your research study, you need to talk about the possible implications of your study. First, present the originality of the proposed study and explain why your research is important.

Bibliography

In this section, please list all the literature that you have used or cited in your proposal.

The quality of your proposed research project does not depend solely on the proposed research; Your writing style is also an important factor contributing to the quality of the research proposal. Your writing must be clear, consistent, and compelling. 

Common mistakes to avoid

Here are some mistakes to avoid in your research proposal.

• Lack of structure and organization.
• Sloppy writing
• Lack of unity and coherence.
• Failure to cite influential researchers in the relevant field
• Lack of keeping up with recent developments in the field
• No critical appraisal of the cited studies.
• Dependence on too many secondary sources.

Writing the research proposal is only the first stage of a research project. Once your research proposal has been approved, you can begin to carry out the project.