For most types of research you will need to produce a research proposal. This is a document which sets out your ideas in an easily accessible way. Even if you have not been asked specifically to produce a research proposal by your boss or tutor, it is a good idea to do so, as it helps you to focus your ideas and provides a useful document for you to reference, should your research wander off track a little.

Before you start work on your research proposal, find out whether you’re required to produce the document in a specific format. For college and university students, you might be given a general outline and a guide as to how many pages to produce. Make sure you familiarise yourself with structures, rules and regulations before you begin your work.

For those of you who are producing a proposal to send to a funding organisation you might have to produce something much more specific. Many funding organisations provide their own forms for you to complete. Some provide advice and guidance about what they would like to see in your proposal. The larger funding bodies produce their proposal forms on-line so that they can be filled in and sent electronically, which makes the process a lot quicker and easier.

THE CONTENTS OF A PROPOSAL

All research proposals should contain the following information:

Title

This should be short and explanatory.

Background

This section should contain a rationale for your research which answers the following questions:

• Why are you undertaking the project?
• Why is the research needed?

This rationale should be placed within the context of existing research or within your own experience and/or observation. You need to demonstrate that you know what you’re talking about and that you have knowledge of the literature surrounding this topic.

If you’re unable to find any other research which deals specifically with your proposed project, you need to say so, illustrating how your proposed research will fill this gap. If there is other work which has covered this area, you need to show how your work will build on and add to the existing knowledge. Basically, you have to convince people that you know what you’re talking about and that the research is important.

Aims and objectives

Many research proposal formats will ask for only one or two aims and may not require objectives. However, for some research these will need to be broken down in more depth to also include the objectives (see Example 6).

The aim is the overall driving force of the research and the objectives are the means by which you intend to achieve the aims. These must be clear and succinct.

Methodology/methods

For research at postgraduate level you may need to split the methodology and methods section into two. However, for most projects they can be combined. In this section you need to describe your proposed research methodology and methods and justify their use. To do this you need to ask the following questions:

• Why have you decided upon your methodology?
• Why have you decided to use those particular methods?
• Why are other methods not appropriate?

This section needs to include details about samples, numbers of people to be contacted, method of data collection, methods of data analysis and ethical considerations. If you have chosen a less well known methodology, you may need to spend more time justifying your choice than you would need to if you had chosen a more traditional methodology.

This section should be quite detailed – many funding organisations find that the most common reason for proposal failure is the lack of methodological detail.

Timetable

A detailed timetable scheduling all aspects of the research should be produced. This will include time taken to conduct background research, questionnaire or interview schedule development, data collection, data analysis and report writing (see Table 5).

Research almost always takes longer than you anticipate. Allow for this and add a few extra weeks on to each section of your timetable. If you finish earlier than you anticipated, that’s fine as you have more time to spend on your report. However, finishing late can create problems especially if you have to meet deadlines.

Budget and resources

If you’re applying to a funding body you need to think about what you will need for your research and how much this is likely to cost (see Table 6). You need to do this so that you apply for the right amount of money and are not left out of pocket if you have under-budgeted. Funding bodies also need to know that you have not over-budgeted and expect more money than you’re going to use.

TABLE 5: SURVEY TIMETABLE

TABLE 6: RESEARCH BUDGET

If you are a student you may not have to include this section in your proposal, although some tutors will want to know that you have thought carefully about what resources are needed and from where you expect to obtain these.

Some types of research are more expensive than others and if you’re on a limited budget you will have to think about this when deciding upon your research method.

Dissemination

What do you expect to do with the results of your research? How are you going to let people know about what you have found out? For students it will suffice to say that the results will be produced in an undergraduate dissertation which will be made available in the institution library. For other researchers you may want to produce a written report, make oral presentations to relevant bodies, produce a website or write a journal article.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD PROPOSAL?

• Relevance, either to the work of the funding body or to the student’s course.
• The research is unique, or offers new insight or development.
• The title, aims and objectives are all clear and succinct.
• Comprehensive and thorough background research and literature review has been undertaken.

• There is a good match between the issues to be addressed and the approach being adopted.
• The researcher demonstrates relevant background knowledge and/or experience.
• Timetable, resources and budget have all been worked out thoroughly, with most eventualities covered.
• Useful policy and practice implications.

REASONS WHY RESEARCH PROPOSALS FAIL

• Aims and objectives are unclear or vague.
• There is a mismatch between the approach being adopted and the issues to be addressed.
• The overall plan is too ambitious and difficult to achieve in the timescale.
• The researcher does not seem to have conducted enough in-depth background research.
• Problem is of insufficient importance.
• Information about the data collection method is insufficiently detailed.
• Information about the data analysis method is insufficiently detailed.
• Timescale is inappropriate or unrealistic.
• Resources and budget have not been carefully thought out.
• This topic has been done too many times before -indicates a lack in background research.

SUMMARY

• Most research projects will require the production of a research proposal which sets out clearly and succinctly your proposed project.
• Before you write your proposal, check whether you need to produce it in a specific format.
• The standard research proposal should include the following:
  • title
  • background (including literature search)
  • aims and objectives
  • methodology/methods
  • timetable
  • budget and resources
  • dissemination.

• Research proposals stand a better chance of being accepted if you’re able to prove that you have the required knowledge and/or experience to carry out the research effectively.
• It is important to make sure that your proposed methods will address the problem you have identified and that you are able to display an understanding of these methods.

FURTHER READING