A Format for Research Proposals

How to write a good research

Proposal
 TITLE OR TOPIC
THE TITLE OR THE TOPIC IS A PHRASE,
STATEMENT OR SENTENSE ABOUT THE
PROBLEM THE RESEACHER WANTS TO FIND
ANSWERS TO.
Example:
if you are interested in finding out about use
of alcoholic beverages by college students,
you might pose the question,
"What effect does use of alcoholic beverages
have on the health of college students?“

Identify the main concepts or keywords in

your question.

In this case they are alcoholic beverages,

health, and college students.
 Abstract or Introduction
A paragraph summarizing your topic of
research, who or what will be the object of
data collection, how the data will be collected,
how it will be analyzed, and what results you
expect (possible outcomes).
 The Problem
"What problem do I want to address or what
question(s) do I want to answer?"
Elaborate on the variables and their
relationships.
In other words your “Problem Statement”
 Background to the Problem
"Why is this problem or question important?"
"Who else has worked on this or similar problems?"

"What methods were used?"

"What were the results or conclusions of previous
research?"

In this section, show the relevance of your research

to other research that has been done.
 The Scope and Significance
"How will I limit my study?" meaning the
scope of your work.
In this section, show how you will avoid doing
it all.

The importance of your work and how it is

going to benefit the society, organization etc.
 The objectives
The Objectives are what you hope to achieve
in your research or project work

It is the same as your aims or goals

IT must be related to your problem statement

Research Design (Methodology)
The method and the approach to solve the
problem systematically

"What data do I need to collect?"

"What methods will I use to collect the data

and how will I justify them?"
 Expected Results
"How will I analyze my data?"
"What results do I expect from my research?"

In this section, elaborate on how you will use

your data to answer your research question(s),
To make generalizations, to defend assertions,
to examine possible alternative outcomes to
construct a plausible (reasonable) argument.
 References
Make sure these follow a recognized format,
and do so consistently.
Example:
1. Bernard, Harold W. The Greenhouse Effect. Cambridge: Ballinger,
1980.
2. Bryson, Reid A. "A Perspective on Climate Change." Science (May 17,
1974), 753-759.