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• How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

Published on October 12, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on November 21, 2023.

A research proposal describes what you will investigate, why it’s important, and how you will conduct your research.

The format of a research proposal varies between fields, but most proposals will contain at least these elements:

Introduction

Literature review.

• Research design

Reference list

While the sections may vary, the overall objective is always the same. A research proposal serves as a blueprint and guide for your research plan, helping you get organized and feel confident in the path forward you choose to take.

Table of contents

Research proposal purpose, research proposal examples, research design and methods, contribution to knowledge, research schedule, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research proposals.

Academics often have to write research proposals to get funding for their projects. As a student, you might have to write a research proposal as part of a grad school application , or prior to starting your thesis or dissertation .

In addition to helping you figure out what your research can look like, a proposal can also serve to demonstrate why your project is worth pursuing to a funder, educational institution, or supervisor.

Research proposal length

The length of a research proposal can vary quite a bit. A bachelor’s or master’s thesis proposal can be just a few pages, while proposals for PhD dissertations or research funding are usually much longer and more detailed. Your supervisor can help you determine the best length for your work.

One trick to get started is to think of your proposal’s structure as a shorter version of your thesis or dissertation , only without the results , conclusion and discussion sections.

Download our research proposal template

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See an example

Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We’ve included a few for you below.

• Example research proposal #1: “A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management”
• Example research proposal #2: “Medical Students as Mediators of Change in Tobacco Use”

Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes:

• The proposed title of your project
• Your supervisor’s name
• Your institution and department

The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project. Make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why.

Your introduction should:

• Introduce your topic
• Give necessary background and context
• Outline your  problem statement  and research questions

To guide your introduction , include information about:

• Who could have an interest in the topic (e.g., scientists, policymakers)
• How much is already known about the topic
• What is missing from this current knowledge
• What new insights your research will contribute
• Why you believe this research is worth doing

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As you get started, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review  shows your reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory. It also shows that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said, but rather using existing research as a jumping-off point for your own.

In this section, share exactly how your project will contribute to ongoing conversations in the field by:

• Comparing and contrasting the main theories, methods, and debates
• Examining the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches
• Explaining how will you build on, challenge, or synthesize prior scholarship

Following the literature review, restate your main  objectives . This brings the focus back to your own project. Next, your research design or methodology section will describe your overall approach, and the practical steps you will take to answer your research questions.

To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential implications of your research for your field. Emphasize again what you aim to contribute and why it matters.

For example, your results might have implications for:

• Improving best practices
• Informing policymaking decisions
• Strengthening a theory or model
• Challenging popular or scientific beliefs
• Creating a basis for future research

Last but not least, your research proposal must include correct citations for every source you have used, compiled in a reference list . To create citations quickly and easily, you can use our free APA citation generator .

Some institutions or funders require a detailed timeline of the project, asking you to forecast what you will do at each stage and how long it may take. While not always required, be sure to check the requirements of your project.

Here’s an example schedule to help you get started. You can also download a template at the button below.

Download our research schedule template

If you are applying for research funding, chances are you will have to include a detailed budget. This shows your estimates of how much each part of your project will cost.

Make sure to check what type of costs the funding body will agree to cover. For each item, include:

• Cost : exactly how much money do you need?
• Justification : why is this cost necessary to complete the research?
• Source : how did you calculate the amount?

To determine your budget, think about:

• Travel costs : do you need to go somewhere to collect your data? How will you get there, and how much time will you need? What will you do there (e.g., interviews, archival research)?
• Materials : do you need access to any tools or technologies?
• Help : do you need to hire any research assistants for the project? What will they do, and how much will you pay them?

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement .

Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.

I will compare …

A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.

Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.

A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.

A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.

A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.

All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.

Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.

Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.

The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.

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17 Research Proposal Examples

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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A research proposal systematically and transparently outlines a proposed research project.

The purpose of a research proposal is to demonstrate a project’s viability and the researcher’s preparedness to conduct an academic study. It serves as a roadmap for the researcher.

The process holds value both externally (for accountability purposes and often as a requirement for a grant application) and intrinsic value (for helping the researcher to clarify the mechanics, purpose, and potential signficance of the study).

Key sections of a research proposal include: the title, abstract, introduction, literature review, research design and methods, timeline, budget, outcomes and implications, references, and appendix. Each is briefly explained below.

Watch my Guide: How to Write a Research Proposal

Get your Template for Writing your Research Proposal Here (With AI Prompts!)

Research Proposal Sample Structure

Title: The title should present a concise and descriptive statement that clearly conveys the core idea of the research projects. Make it as specific as possible. The reader should immediately be able to grasp the core idea of the intended research project. Often, the title is left too vague and does not help give an understanding of what exactly the study looks at.

Abstract: Abstracts are usually around 250-300 words and provide an overview of what is to follow – including the research problem , objectives, methods, expected outcomes, and significance of the study. Use it as a roadmap and ensure that, if the abstract is the only thing someone reads, they’ll get a good fly-by of what will be discussed in the peice.

Introduction: Introductions are all about contextualization. They often set the background information with a statement of the problem. At the end of the introduction, the reader should understand what the rationale for the study truly is. I like to see the research questions or hypotheses included in the introduction and I like to get a good understanding of what the significance of the research will be. It’s often easiest to write the introduction last

Literature Review: The literature review dives deep into the existing literature on the topic, demosntrating your thorough understanding of the existing literature including themes, strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in the literature. It serves both to demonstrate your knowledge of the field and, to demonstrate how the proposed study will fit alongside the literature on the topic. A good literature review concludes by clearly demonstrating how your research will contribute something new and innovative to the conversation in the literature.

Research Design and Methods: This section needs to clearly demonstrate how the data will be gathered and analyzed in a systematic and academically sound manner. Here, you need to demonstrate that the conclusions of your research will be both valid and reliable. Common points discussed in the research design and methods section include highlighting the research paradigm, methodologies, intended population or sample to be studied, data collection techniques, and data analysis procedures . Toward the end of this section, you are encouraged to also address ethical considerations and limitations of the research process , but also to explain why you chose your research design and how you are mitigating the identified risks and limitations.

Timeline: Provide an outline of the anticipated timeline for the study. Break it down into its various stages (including data collection, data analysis, and report writing). The goal of this section is firstly to establish a reasonable breakdown of steps for you to follow and secondly to demonstrate to the assessors that your project is practicable and feasible.

Budget: Estimate the costs associated with the research project and include evidence for your estimations. Typical costs include staffing costs, equipment, travel, and data collection tools. When applying for a scholarship, the budget should demonstrate that you are being responsible with your expensive and that your funding application is reasonable.

Expected Outcomes and Implications: A discussion of the anticipated findings or results of the research, as well as the potential contributions to the existing knowledge, theory, or practice in the field. This section should also address the potential impact of the research on relevant stakeholders and any broader implications for policy or practice.

References: A complete list of all the sources cited in the research proposal, formatted according to the required citation style. This demonstrates the researcher’s familiarity with the relevant literature and ensures proper attribution of ideas and information.

Appendices (if applicable): Any additional materials, such as questionnaires, interview guides, or consent forms, that provide further information or support for the research proposal. These materials should be included as appendices at the end of the document.

Research Proposal Examples

Research proposals often extend anywhere between 2,000 and 15,000 words in length. The following snippets are samples designed to briefly demonstrate what might be discussed in each section.

1. Education Studies Research Proposals

See some real sample pieces:

• Assessment of the perceptions of teachers towards a new grading system
• Does ICT use in secondary classrooms help or hinder student learning?
• Digital technologies in focus project
• Urban Middle School Teachers’ Experiences of the Implementation of
• Restorative Justice Practices
• Experiences of students of color in service learning

Consider this hypothetical education research proposal:

The Impact of Game-Based Learning on Student Engagement and Academic Performance in Middle School Mathematics

Abstract: The proposed study will explore multiplayer game-based learning techniques in middle school mathematics curricula and their effects on student engagement. The study aims to contribute to the current literature on game-based learning by examining the effects of multiplayer gaming in learning.

Introduction: Digital game-based learning has long been shunned within mathematics education for fears that it may distract students or lower the academic integrity of the classrooms. However, there is emerging evidence that digital games in math have emerging benefits not only for engagement but also academic skill development. Contributing to this discourse, this study seeks to explore the potential benefits of multiplayer digital game-based learning by examining its impact on middle school students’ engagement and academic performance in a mathematics class.

Literature Review: The literature review has identified gaps in the current knowledge, namely, while game-based learning has been extensively explored, the role of multiplayer games in supporting learning has not been studied.

Research Design and Methods: This study will employ a mixed-methods research design based upon action research in the classroom. A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test control group design will first be used to compare the academic performance and engagement of middle school students exposed to game-based learning techniques with those in a control group receiving instruction without the aid of technology. Students will also be observed and interviewed in regard to the effect of communication and collaboration during gameplay on their learning.

Timeline: The study will take place across the second term of the school year with a pre-test taking place on the first day of the term and the post-test taking place on Wednesday in Week 10.

Budget: The key budgetary requirements will be the technologies required, including the subscription cost for the identified games and computers.

Expected Outcomes and Implications: It is expected that the findings will contribute to the current literature on game-based learning and inform educational practices, providing educators and policymakers with insights into how to better support student achievement in mathematics.

2. Psychology Research Proposals

See some real examples:

• A situational analysis of shared leadership in a self-managing team
• The effect of musical preference on running performance
• Relationship between self-esteem and disordered eating amongst adolescent females

Consider this hypothetical psychology research proposal:

The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Stress Reduction in College Students

Abstract: This research proposal examines the impact of mindfulness-based interventions on stress reduction among college students, using a pre-test/post-test experimental design with both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods .

Introduction: College students face heightened stress levels during exam weeks. This can affect both mental health and test performance. This study explores the potential benefits of mindfulness-based interventions such as meditation as a way to mediate stress levels in the weeks leading up to exam time.

Literature Review: Existing research on mindfulness-based meditation has shown the ability for mindfulness to increase metacognition, decrease anxiety levels, and decrease stress. Existing literature has looked at workplace, high school and general college-level applications. This study will contribute to the corpus of literature by exploring the effects of mindfulness directly in the context of exam weeks.

Research Design and Methods: Participants ( n= 234 ) will be randomly assigned to either an experimental group, receiving 5 days per week of 10-minute mindfulness-based interventions, or a control group, receiving no intervention. Data will be collected through self-report questionnaires, measuring stress levels, semi-structured interviews exploring participants’ experiences, and students’ test scores.

Timeline: The study will begin three weeks before the students’ exam week and conclude after each student’s final exam. Data collection will occur at the beginning (pre-test of self-reported stress levels) and end (post-test) of the three weeks.

Expected Outcomes and Implications: The study aims to provide evidence supporting the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in reducing stress among college students in the lead up to exams, with potential implications for mental health support and stress management programs on college campuses.

3. Sociology Research Proposals

• Understanding emerging social movements: A case study of ‘Jersey in Transition’
• The interaction of health, education and employment in Western China
• Can we preserve lower-income affordable neighbourhoods in the face of rising costs?

Consider this hypothetical sociology research proposal:

The Impact of Social Media Usage on Interpersonal Relationships among Young Adults

Abstract: This research proposal investigates the effects of social media usage on interpersonal relationships among young adults, using a longitudinal mixed-methods approach with ongoing semi-structured interviews to collect qualitative data.

Introduction: Social media platforms have become a key medium for the development of interpersonal relationships, particularly for young adults. This study examines the potential positive and negative effects of social media usage on young adults’ relationships and development over time.

Literature Review: A preliminary review of relevant literature has demonstrated that social media usage is central to development of a personal identity and relationships with others with similar subcultural interests. However, it has also been accompanied by data on mental health deline and deteriorating off-screen relationships. The literature is to-date lacking important longitudinal data on these topics.

Research Design and Methods: Participants ( n = 454 ) will be young adults aged 18-24. Ongoing self-report surveys will assess participants’ social media usage, relationship satisfaction, and communication patterns. A subset of participants will be selected for longitudinal in-depth interviews starting at age 18 and continuing for 5 years.

Timeline: The study will be conducted over a period of five years, including recruitment, data collection, analysis, and report writing.

Expected Outcomes and Implications: This study aims to provide insights into the complex relationship between social media usage and interpersonal relationships among young adults, potentially informing social policies and mental health support related to social media use.

4. Nursing Research Proposals

• Does Orthopaedic Pre-assessment clinic prepare the patient for admission to hospital?
• Nurses’ perceptions and experiences of providing psychological care to burns patients
• Registered psychiatric nurse’s practice with mentally ill parents and their children

Consider this hypothetical nursing research proposal:

The Influence of Nurse-Patient Communication on Patient Satisfaction and Health Outcomes following Emergency Cesarians

Abstract: This research will examines the impact of effective nurse-patient communication on patient satisfaction and health outcomes for women following c-sections, utilizing a mixed-methods approach with patient surveys and semi-structured interviews.

Introduction: It has long been known that effective communication between nurses and patients is crucial for quality care. However, additional complications arise following emergency c-sections due to the interaction between new mother’s changing roles and recovery from surgery.

Literature Review: A review of the literature demonstrates the importance of nurse-patient communication, its impact on patient satisfaction, and potential links to health outcomes. However, communication between nurses and new mothers is less examined, and the specific experiences of those who have given birth via emergency c-section are to date unexamined.

Research Design and Methods: Participants will be patients in a hospital setting who have recently had an emergency c-section. A self-report survey will assess their satisfaction with nurse-patient communication and perceived health outcomes. A subset of participants will be selected for in-depth interviews to explore their experiences and perceptions of the communication with their nurses.

Timeline: The study will be conducted over a period of six months, including rolling recruitment, data collection, analysis, and report writing within the hospital.

Expected Outcomes and Implications: This study aims to provide evidence for the significance of nurse-patient communication in supporting new mothers who have had an emergency c-section. Recommendations will be presented for supporting nurses and midwives in improving outcomes for new mothers who had complications during birth.

5. Social Work Research Proposals

• Experiences of negotiating employment and caring responsibilities of fathers post-divorce
• Exploring kinship care in the north region of British Columbia

Consider this hypothetical social work research proposal:

The Role of a Family-Centered Intervention in Preventing Homelessness Among At-Risk Youthin a working-class town in Northern England

Abstract: This research proposal investigates the effectiveness of a family-centered intervention provided by a local council area in preventing homelessness among at-risk youth. This case study will use a mixed-methods approach with program evaluation data and semi-structured interviews to collect quantitative and qualitative data .

Introduction: Homelessness among youth remains a significant social issue. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of family-centered interventions in addressing this problem and identify factors that contribute to successful prevention strategies.

Literature Review: A review of the literature has demonstrated several key factors contributing to youth homelessness including lack of parental support, lack of social support, and low levels of family involvement. It also demonstrates the important role of family-centered interventions in addressing this issue. Drawing on current evidence, this study explores the effectiveness of one such intervention in preventing homelessness among at-risk youth in a working-class town in Northern England.

Research Design and Methods: The study will evaluate a new family-centered intervention program targeting at-risk youth and their families. Quantitative data on program outcomes, including housing stability and family functioning, will be collected through program records and evaluation reports. Semi-structured interviews with program staff, participants, and relevant stakeholders will provide qualitative insights into the factors contributing to program success or failure.

Timeline: The study will be conducted over a period of six months, including recruitment, data collection, analysis, and report writing.

Budget: Expenses include access to program evaluation data, interview materials, data analysis software, and any related travel costs for in-person interviews.

Expected Outcomes and Implications: This study aims to provide evidence for the effectiveness of family-centered interventions in preventing youth homelessness, potentially informing the expansion of or necessary changes to social work practices in Northern England.

Research Proposal Template

Get your Detailed Template for Writing your Research Proposal Here (With AI Prompts!)

This is a template for a 2500-word research proposal. You may find it difficult to squeeze everything into this wordcount, but it’s a common wordcount for Honors and MA-level dissertations.

Your research proposal is where you really get going with your study. I’d strongly recommend working closely with your teacher in developing a research proposal that’s consistent with the requirements and culture of your institution, as in my experience it varies considerably. The above template is from my own courses that walk students through research proposals in a British School of Education.

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 Number Games for Kids (Free and Easy)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 Word Games for Kids (Free and Easy)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 Outdoor Games for Kids
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 50 Incentives to Give to Students

8 thoughts on “17 Research Proposal Examples”

Very excellent research proposals

very helpful

Very helpful

Dear Sir, I need some help to write an educational research proposal. Thank you.

Hi Levi, use the site search bar to ask a question and I’ll likely have a guide already written for your specific question. Thanks for reading!

very good research proposal

Thank you so much sir! ❤️

Very helpful 👌

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• 301 Academic Skills Centre
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How to write a research proposal

Advice and guidance on writing a proposal for a student research project.

Purpose of a Research Proposal

A research proposal should describe what you will investigate, why it is important to the discipline and how you will conduct your research.

Simply put, it is your plan for the research you intend to conduct. All research proposals are designed to persuade someone about how and why your intended project is worthwhile. 

In your proposal you will need to explain and defend your choices. Always think about the exact reasons why you are making specific choices and why they are the best options available to you and your project. 

Your research proposal aims should be centred on: 

• Relevance - You want to convince the reader how and why your research is relevant and significant to your field and how it is original. This is typically done in parts of the introduction and the literature review.
• Context - You should demonstrate that you are familiar with the field, you understand the current state of research on the topic and your ideas have a strong academic basis (i.e., not simply based on your instincts or personal views). This will be the focus of your introduction and literature review. 
• Approach - You need to make a case for your methodology, showing that you have carefully thought about the data, tools and procedures you will need to conduct the research. You need to explicitly defend all of your choices. This will be presented in the research design section. 
• Feasibility - You need to demonstrate clearly that your project is both reasonable and feasible within the practical constraints of the course, timescales, institution or funding. You need to make sure you have the time and access to resources to complete the project in a reasonable period. 

301 Recommends:

Our Research Writing workshop will look at some of the main writing challenges associated with writing a large-scale research project and look at strategies to manage your writing on a day-to-day basis. It will identify ways to plan, organise and map out the structure of your writing to allow you to develop an effective writing schedule and make continuous progress on your dissertation project.

Proposal format

The format of a research proposal varies between fields and levels of study but most proposals should contain at least these elements: introduction, literature review, research design and reference list.

Generally, research proposals can range from 500-1500 words or one to a few pages long. Typically, proposals for larger projects such as a PhD dissertation or funding requests, are longer and much more detailed.

Remember, the goal of your research proposal is to outline clearly and concisely exactly what your research will entail and accomplish, how it will do so and why it is important. If you are writing to a strictly enforced word count, a research proposal can be a great test of your ability to express yourself concisely!

Introduction

The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project, so make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why. In other words, this is where you answer the reader’s “so what?” It should typically include: introducing the topic , outlining your problem statement and research question(s) and giving background and context. Some important questions to shape your introduction include: 

• Who has an interest in the topic (e.g. scientists, practitioners, policymakers, particular members of society)?
• How much is already known about the problem and why is it important?
• What is missing from current knowledge and why?
• What new insights will your research contribute?
• Why is this research worth doing?

If your proposal is very long, you might include separate sections with more detailed information on the background and context, problem statement, aims and objectives, and importance of the research.

Literature Review 

It’s important to show that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review convinces the reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory (i.e. how it relates to established research in the field).

Your literature review will also show that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said. This is also where you explain why your research is necessary. You might want to consider some of the following prompts:

• Comparing and contrasting: what are the main theories, methods, debates and controversies?
• Being critical: what are the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches?
• Showing how your research fits in: how will you build on, challenge or synthesise the work of others? 
• Filling a gap in the existing body of research: why is your idea innovative? 

Research design and methods

Following the literature review, it is a good idea to restate your main objectives, bringing the focus back to your own project. The research design/ methodology section should describe the overall approach and practical steps you will take to answer your research questions. You also need to demonstrate the feasibility of the project keeping in mind time and other constraints. 

You should definitely include:

• Qualitative vs quantitative research? Combination? 
• Will you collect original data or work with primary/secondary sources? 
• Is your research design descriptive, correlational or experimental? Something completely different?
• If you are undertaking your own study, when and where will you collect the data? How will you select subjects or sources? Ethics review? Exactly what or who will you study?
• What tools and procedures will you use (e.g. systematic reviews, surveys, interviews, observation, experiments, bibliographic data) to collect your data? 
• What tools/methods will you use to analyse your data? 
• Why are these the best methods to answer your research question(s)? This is where you should justify your choices. 
• How much time will you need to collect the data? 
• How will you gain access to participants and sources?
• Do you foresee any potential obstacles and if so, how will you address them?

Make sure you are not simply compiling a list of methods. Instead, aim to make an argument for why this is the most appropriate, valid and reliable way to approach answering your question. Remember you should always be defending your choices! 

Implications and Contributions to Knowledge

To ensure you finish your proposal on a strong note, it is a good idea to explore and/or emphasise the potential implications of the research. This means: what do you intend to contribute to existing knowledge on the topic?

Although you cannot know the results of your research until you have actually done the work, you should be going into the project with a clear idea of how your work will contribute to your field. This section might even be considered the most critical to your research proposal’s argument because it expresses exactly why your research is necessary. 

You should consider covering at least some of the following topics:

• Ways in which your work can challenge existing theories and assumptions in your field. 
• How your work will create the foundation for future research and theory. 
• The practical value your findings will provide to practitioners, educators and other academics in your field. 
• The problems or issues your work can potentially help to resolve. 
• Policies that could be impacted by your findings. 
• How your findings can be implemented in academia or other settings and how this will improve or otherwise transform these settings. 

This part is not about stating the specific results that you expect to obtain but rather, this is the section where you explicitly state how your findings will be valuable. 

This section is where you want to wrap it all up in a nice pretty bow. It is just like the concluding paragraph that you would structure and craft for a typical essay, see our essay planning template  for guidance. You should briefly summarise your research proposal and reinforce your research purpose. 

Reference List or Bibliography

Your research proposal MUST include proper citations for every source you have used and full references. Please consult your departmental referencing styles to ensure you are citing and referencing in an appropriate way. 

Common mistakes to avoid 

Try and avoid these common pitfalls when you are writing your research proposal: 

• Being too wordy: Remember formal does not mean flowery or pretentious. In fact, you should really aim to keep your writing as concise and accessible as possible. The more economically you can express your goals and ideas, the better. 
• Failing to cite relevant information/sources: You are adding to the existing body of knowledge on the subject you are covering. Therefore, your research proposal should reference the main research pieces in your field (while referencing them correctly!) and connect your proposal to these works in some way. This does not mean just communicating the relevance of your work, it should explicitly demonstrate your familiarity with the field. 
• Focusing too much on minor issues: Your research is most likely important for so many great reasons. However, they do not all need to be listed in your research proposal. Generally, including too many questions and issues in your research proposal can serve as a red flag and detract from your main purpose(s). This will in turn weaken your proposal. Only involve the main/key issues you plan to address. 
• Failing to make a strong argument for your research: This is the simplest way to undermine your proposal. Your proposal is a piece of persuasive and critical writing . This means that, although you are presenting your proposal in an academic and hopefully objective manner, the goal is to get the reader to say ‘yes’ to your work. 
• Not polishing your writing : If your proposal has spelling or grammatical errors, an inconsistent or inappropriate tone or even just awkward phrasing it can undermine your credibility. Check out some of these resources to help guide you in the right direction: Manchester Academic Phrasebank , Proofreading Guide , Essay Checklist and Grammar Guide . Remember to double and triple check your work. 

Links and Resources

You might also need to include a schedule and/or a budget depending on your requirements. Some tools to help include: 

• Guidance for candidates
• Manchester University Academic Phrasebank
• Leeds Beckett Assignment Calculator
• Calendarpedia

For guidance regarding specific research proposals (including templates), please check with your specific departments.

Related information

Dissertation planning

Writing a literature review

Research methods

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Blog Business How to Write a Research Proposal: A Step-by-Step

How to Write a Research Proposal: A Step-by-Step

Written by: Danesh Ramuthi Nov 29, 2023

A research proposal is a structured outline for a planned study on a specific topic. It serves as a roadmap, guiding researchers through the process of converting their research idea into a feasible project. 

The aim of a research proposal is multifold: it articulates the research problem, establishes a theoretical framework, outlines the research methodology and highlights the potential significance of the study. Importantly, it’s a critical tool for scholars seeking grant funding or approval for their research projects.

Crafting a good research proposal requires not only understanding your research topic and methodological approaches but also the ability to present your ideas clearly and persuasively. Explore Venngage’s Proposal Maker and Research Proposals Templates to begin your journey in writing a compelling research proposal.

What to include in a research proposal?

In a research proposal, include a clear statement of your research question or problem, along with an explanation of its significance. This should be followed by a literature review that situates your proposed study within the context of existing research. 

Your proposal should also outline the research methodology, detailing how you plan to conduct your study, including data collection and analysis methods.

Additionally, include a theoretical framework that guides your research approach, a timeline or research schedule, and a budget if applicable. It’s important to also address the anticipated outcomes and potential implications of your study. A well-structured research proposal will clearly communicate your research objectives, methods and significance to the readers.

How to format a research proposal?

Formatting a research proposal involves adhering to a structured outline to ensure clarity and coherence. While specific requirements may vary, a standard research proposal typically includes the following elements:

• Title Page: Must include the title of your research proposal, your name and affiliations. The title should be concise and descriptive of your proposed research.
• Abstract: A brief summary of your proposal, usually not exceeding 250 words. It should highlight the research question, methodology and the potential impact of the study.
• Introduction: Introduces your research question or problem, explains its significance, and states the objectives of your study.
• Literature review: Here, you contextualize your research within existing scholarship, demonstrating your knowledge of the field and how your research will contribute to it.
• Methodology: Outline your research methods, including how you will collect and analyze data. This section should be detailed enough to show the feasibility and thoughtfulness of your approach.
• Timeline: Provide an estimated schedule for your research, breaking down the process into stages with a realistic timeline for each.
• Budget (if applicable): If your research requires funding, include a detailed budget outlining expected cost.
• References/Bibliography: List all sources referenced in your proposal in a consistent citation style.

How to write a research proposal in 11 steps?

Writing a research proposal template in structured steps ensures a comprehensive and coherent presentation of your research project. Let’s look at the explanation for each of the steps here:  

Step 1: Title and Abstract Step 2: Introduction Step 3: Research objectives Step 4: Literature review Step 5: Methodology Step 6: Timeline Step 7: Resources Step 8: Ethical considerations Step 9: Expected outcomes and significance Step 10: References Step 11: Appendices

Step 1: title and abstract.

Select a concise, descriptive title and write an abstract summarizing your research question, objectives, methodology and expected outcomes​​. The abstract should include your research question, the objectives you aim to achieve, the methodology you plan to employ and the anticipated outcomes. 

Step 2: Introduction

In this section, introduce the topic of your research, emphasizing its significance and relevance to the field. Articulate the research problem or question in clear terms and provide background context, which should include an overview of previous research in the field.

Step 3: Research objectives

Here, you’ll need to outline specific, clear and achievable objectives that align with your research problem. These objectives should be well-defined, focused and measurable, serving as the guiding pillars for your study. They help in establishing what you intend to accomplish through your research and provide a clear direction for your investigation.

Step 4: Literature review

In this part, conduct a thorough review of existing literature related to your research topic. This involves a detailed summary of key findings and major contributions from previous research. Identify existing gaps in the literature and articulate how your research aims to fill these gaps. The literature review not only shows your grasp of the subject matter but also how your research will contribute new insights or perspectives to the field.

Step 5: Methodology

Describe the design of your research and the methodologies you will employ. This should include detailed information on data collection methods, instruments to be used and analysis techniques. Justify the appropriateness of these methods for your research​​.

Step 6: Timeline

Construct a detailed timeline that maps out the major milestones and activities of your research project. Break the entire research process into smaller, manageable tasks and assign realistic time frames to each. This timeline should cover everything from the initial research phase to the final submission, including periods for data collection, analysis and report writing. 

It helps in ensuring your project stays on track and demonstrates to reviewers that you have a well-thought-out plan for completing your research efficiently.

Step 7: Resources

Identify all the resources that will be required for your research, such as specific databases, laboratory equipment, software or funding. Provide details on how these resources will be accessed or acquired. 

If your research requires funding, explain how it will be utilized effectively to support various aspects of the project. 

Step 8: Ethical considerations

Address any ethical issues that may arise during your research. This is particularly important for research involving human subjects. Describe the measures you will take to ensure ethical standards are maintained, such as obtaining informed consent, ensuring participant privacy, and adhering to data protection regulations. 

Here, in this section you should reassure reviewers that you are committed to conducting your research responsibly and ethically.

Step 9: Expected outcomes and significance

Articulate the expected outcomes or results of your research. Explain the potential impact and significance of these outcomes, whether in advancing academic knowledge, influencing policy or addressing specific societal or practical issues. 

Step 10: References

Compile a comprehensive list of all the references cited in your proposal. Adhere to a consistent citation style (like APA or MLA) throughout your document. The reference section not only gives credit to the original authors of your sourced information but also strengthens the credibility of your proposal.

Step 11: Appendices

Include additional supporting materials that are pertinent to your research proposal. This can be survey questionnaires, interview guides, detailed data analysis plans or any supplementary information that supports the main text. 

Appendices provide further depth to your proposal, showcasing the thoroughness of your preparation.

Research proposal FAQs

1. how long should a research proposal be.

The length of a research proposal can vary depending on the requirements of the academic institution, funding body or specific guidelines provided. Generally, research proposals range from 500 to 1500 words or about one to a few pages long. It’s important to provide enough detail to clearly convey your research idea, objectives and methodology, while being concise. Always check

2. Why is the research plan pivotal to a research project?

The research plan is pivotal to a research project because it acts as a blueprint, guiding every phase of the study. It outlines the objectives, methodology, timeline and expected outcomes, providing a structured approach and ensuring that the research is systematically conducted. 

A well-crafted plan helps in identifying potential challenges, allocating resources efficiently and maintaining focus on the research goals. It is also essential for communicating the project’s feasibility and importance to stakeholders, such as funding bodies or academic supervisors.

Mastering how to write a research proposal is an essential skill for any scholar, whether in social and behavioral sciences, academic writing or any field requiring scholarly research. From this article, you have learned key components, from the literature review to the research design, helping you develop a persuasive and well-structured proposal.

Remember, a good research proposal not only highlights your proposed research and methodology but also demonstrates its relevance and potential impact.

For additional support, consider utilizing Venngage’s Proposal Maker and Research Proposals Templates , valuable tools in crafting a compelling proposal that stands out.

Whether it’s for grant funding, a research paper or a dissertation proposal, these resources can assist in transforming your research idea into a successful submission.

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Writing a Scientific Research Project Proposal

• 5 minute read
• 110.1K views

Table of Contents

The importance of a well-written research proposal cannot be underestimated. Your research really is only as good as your proposal. A poorly written, or poorly conceived research proposal will doom even an otherwise worthy project. On the other hand, a well-written, high-quality proposal will increase your chances for success.

In this article, we’ll outline the basics of writing an effective scientific research proposal, including the differences between research proposals, grants and cover letters. We’ll also touch on common mistakes made when submitting research proposals, as well as a simple example or template that you can follow.

What is a scientific research proposal?

The main purpose of a scientific research proposal is to convince your audience that your project is worthwhile, and that you have the expertise and wherewithal to complete it. The elements of an effective research proposal mirror those of the research process itself, which we’ll outline below. Essentially, the research proposal should include enough information for the reader to determine if your proposed study is worth pursuing.

It is not an uncommon misunderstanding to think that a research proposal and a cover letter are the same things. However, they are different. The main difference between a research proposal vs cover letter content is distinct. Whereas the research proposal summarizes the proposal for future research, the cover letter connects you to the research, and how you are the right person to complete the proposed research.

There is also sometimes confusion around a research proposal vs grant application. Whereas a research proposal is a statement of intent, related to answering a research question, a grant application is a specific request for funding to complete the research proposed. Of course, there are elements of overlap between the two documents; it’s the purpose of the document that defines one or the other.

Scientific Research Proposal Format

Although there is no one way to write a scientific research proposal, there are specific guidelines. A lot depends on which journal you’re submitting your research proposal to, so you may need to follow their scientific research proposal template.

In general, however, there are fairly universal sections to every scientific research proposal. These include:

• Title: Make sure the title of your proposal is descriptive and concise. Make it catch and informative at the same time, avoiding dry phrases like, “An investigation…” Your title should pique the interest of the reader.
• Abstract: This is a brief (300-500 words) summary that includes the research question, your rationale for the study, and any applicable hypothesis. You should also include a brief description of your methodology, including procedures, samples, instruments, etc.
• Introduction: The opening paragraph of your research proposal is, perhaps, the most important. Here you want to introduce the research problem in a creative way, and demonstrate your understanding of the need for the research. You want the reader to think that your proposed research is current, important and relevant.
• Background: Include a brief history of the topic and link it to a contemporary context to show its relevance for today. Identify key researchers and institutions also looking at the problem
• Literature Review: This is the section that may take the longest amount of time to assemble. Here you want to synthesize prior research, and place your proposed research into the larger picture of what’s been studied in the past. You want to show your reader that your work is original, and adds to the current knowledge.
• Research Design and Methodology: This section should be very clearly and logically written and organized. You are letting your reader know that you know what you are going to do, and how. The reader should feel confident that you have the skills and knowledge needed to get the project done.
• Preliminary Implications: Here you’ll be outlining how you anticipate your research will extend current knowledge in your field. You might also want to discuss how your findings will impact future research needs.
• Conclusion: This section reinforces the significance and importance of your proposed research, and summarizes the entire proposal.
• References/Citations: Of course, you need to include a full and accurate list of any and all sources you used to write your research proposal.

Common Mistakes in Writing a Scientific Research Project Proposal

Remember, the best research proposal can be rejected if it’s not well written or is ill-conceived. The most common mistakes made include:

• Not providing the proper context for your research question or the problem
• Failing to reference landmark/key studies
• Losing focus of the research question or problem
• Not accurately presenting contributions by other researchers and institutions
• Incompletely developing a persuasive argument for the research that is being proposed
• Misplaced attention on minor points and/or not enough detail on major issues
• Sloppy, low-quality writing without effective logic and flow
• Incorrect or lapses in references and citations, and/or references not in proper format
• The proposal is too long – or too short

Scientific Research Proposal Example

There are countless examples that you can find for successful research proposals. In addition, you can also find examples of unsuccessful research proposals. Search for successful research proposals in your field, and even for your target journal, to get a good idea on what specifically your audience may be looking for.

While there’s no one example that will show you everything you need to know, looking at a few will give you a good idea of what you need to include in your own research proposal. Talk, also, to colleagues in your field, especially if you are a student or a new researcher. We can often learn from the mistakes of others. The more prepared and knowledgeable you are prior to writing your research proposal, the more likely you are to succeed.

One of the top reasons scientific research proposals are rejected is due to poor logic and flow. Check out our Language Editing Services to ensure a great proposal , that’s clear and concise, and properly referenced. Check our video for more information, and get started today.

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Research Paper Guide

Writing Research Proposal

Last updated on: Nov 20, 2023

Writing a Research Proposal - Outline, Format, and Examples

By: Nathan D.

13 min read

Reviewed By: Rylee W.

Published on: Mar 24, 2023

Ready to take on the world of research, but feeling a bit intimidated by the proposal-writing process? You're not alone! Writing a research proposal can seem like a daunting task, especially if you're new to the game. 

But don't worry – we're here to help make the process as easy and exciting as possible!

Think of your research proposal as a sales pitch for your ideas. It's your chance to convince others that your project is worth their time and investment. And just like with any great sales pitch, the key is to show passion and enthusiasm for your work.

In this guide, we'll demystify the proposal-writing process. We'll cover everything from defining your research question to outlining your methodology to presenting your budget. 

So get ready to rock this proposal writing journey!

On this Page

What is a Research Proposal?

As per the research proposal definition, it is a concise summary of your research paper. It introduces the general idea of your research by highlighting the questions and issues you are going to address in your paper.

For writing a good and ‘acceptance worthy’ proposal, demonstrating the uniqueness and worthiness of your research paper is important.

Below is a detailed definition that will help you understand it better.

‘A research proposal is a document that is written to present and justify your interest and need for researching a particular topic.’

Similarly, a good proposal must highlight the benefits and o utcomes of the proposed study, supported by persuasive evidence.

Purpose of Research Proposal 

Knowing what the goal of writing a research proposal is can make the process easier and help you get your project approved by faculty. 

Let’s break down what makes up a good research proposal. 

Filling Gaps in Existing Knowledge 

Crafting a research proposal is an opportunity to explore the depths of your topic and uncover unturned stones. 

By identifying areas previously unexamined, you can open up new perspectives which could provide substantial value to your project. This demonstrates your contribution to knowledge. 

With such insights in hand, faculty will quickly recognize that there's something special about this study – setting it apart from others on the same subject!

Underscoring Existing Knowledge 

A research proposal is a chance for you to show how good you are at analyzing things and understanding past studies. 

With evidence-based data, you can demonstrate how these studies relate to each other - which agrees or disagrees with current theories about the topic. 

Whether it's presenting meaningful insights or uncovering new ones, this exercise will challenge your ability to think critically!

Adding New Original Knowledge 

To create a compelling research proposal, you must demonstrate your understanding of the existing body of knowledge on your topic. 

You should also bring something new to the table. You can explore primary sources like interviews or surveys with experts or members involved in this study. 

Showcase how this proposed project adds value and moves conversations forward; make sure that it is relevant to today's context!

In conclusion, the purpose of a research proposal is to identify gaps in existing knowledge and provide new, original perspectives on the topic. By doing this, you'll be able to craft an impactful study that faculty will find hard to ignore! 

How to Create a Research Proposal Outline?

Sometimes students don’t realize how important a research paper proposal is and end up putting all the information together without following the basic outline or thinking this through.

Before starting with the outline, you need to understand the basic components. A clear outline is important when it comes to presenting the literature review and writing the entire paper.

Here is a basic format you can follow while writing your proposal.

• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Research Methodology

It might seem like a dreadful task and especially for the students who are new to this. It requires good writing as well as research skills.

Here is a sample template to further explain the outline.

Research Proposal Template

RESEARCH PROPOSAL TEMPLATE

Need help with creating an outline for your research paper? Check out this in-depth read on how to create an effective research paper outline !

How to Start a Research Proposal?

Many students think that starting a research proposal is the same as creating an outline. No, it is not, and knowing how to start with your research proposal on the right track is like getting done with half of it.

Below are the important steps to start a research proposal.

• Begin working on it as soon as possible.
• Conduct thorough and in-depth research.
• Instead of forming the title first, find the main theme or problem that you would like to discuss in your research.
• Collect and save the research information with proper and complete citation and reference information.
• Divide the collected details into the sections of the proposal and stick to them.

Writing a research proposal is tricky, but when you start it beforehand then you will have enough time to understand your main topic’s different aspects.

Procrastinating and leaving it for the last few days before submission will only land you in trouble.

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How to Write a Research Proposal

Now you have the basic outline you can follow. Let’s discuss how to write it by following the format mentioned above.

1. Choose the Title Carefully

Your proposal title should be concise and clear to indicate your research question. Your readers should know what to expect in the paper after reading the title. Avoid writing titles in a general perspective or phrases like “An investigation of …” or “A review of …” etc. Make it concise and well-defined.

2. Add a Concise Abstract

‘How to write an abstract for a research proposal?’

The abstract is a short summary that is around 100-250 words. The abstract should include the research question, the hypothesis of your research (if there is any), the research methodology, and the findings.

If the proposal is detailed, it will require a section of the contents after the abstract. It, knowing how to write an abstract  will be helpful and can save you from making any blunders.

3. Add a Strong Introduction

You need to start with a strong introduction. The introduction is written to provide a background or context related to your research problem. It is important to frame the research question while writing the proposal.

Start the introduction with a general statement related to the problem area you are focusing on and justify your study.

The introduction usually covers the following elements.

• What is the purpose of your research or study?
• Mention the background information and significance before you introduce your research question.
• Introduce your research question in a way that its significance is highlighted by setting the stage for it.
• Briefly mention the issues that you are going to discuss and highlight in your study.
• Make sure that you identify the independent and dependent variables in the title of your study.
• If there is a hypothesis or a theory related to your research, state it in the introduction.

Have a very clear and concise idea about your research, and make sure that you do not deviate from the main research question. A clear idea will help you craft a perfect thesis. Here is how you can create a crisp and interesting  thesis introduction  along with a basic guideline.

4. Clarify the Research Objectives

Your research objectives will explain what the writer is trying to achieve. Moreover, these aims and objectives must be achievable. It means that it must be framed according to the:

• Available time
• Infrastructure
• Other important resources.

However, it is beneficial to read all the developments in the field and find research gaps before deciding your objective. It will help you come up with suitable aims for your projects.

5. Add Relevant Literature Review

A separate section dedicated to the literature review will allow you to conduct extensive background research and support your research question with credible sources and research.

The following are the basic purposes of the literature review.

• To give reference to the researchers whose study has been a part of your research.
• To help you construct a precise and clear research question.
• To critically evaluate previous literature information related to your research.
• To understand research issues relevant to the topic of your research.
• To convince the reader that your research is an important contribution to the relevant niche.

A literature review is an important component. Learning  how to write a literature review  will help you compose an engaging and impressive literature review easily.

Keep your literature review organized by adding a subheading to maintain a smooth flow in the content. Try not to bore your readers and your instructor or the committee. Write it in an engaging manner.

6. Mention the Significance of the Research

The significance of your research will identify the importance of your work. It should be mainly stated in the introductory paragraph.

You must highlight how your research is beneficial for the respective field of study. Similarly, you can also state its contribution to the field in both the broader and narrow sense.

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7. Explain the Research Methodology

‘How to write a methods section of a research proposal?’

This section explains how you are going to conduct your research. Explain why the specific method is suitable for your research and how it will help you attain your research goals. Your research methodology will give you an organized plan for the research.

Mention sufficient information regarding your research methodology for readers to understand how you are conducting your research. It must contain enough information regarding the study for another researcher to implement it.

i.) Types of Research Methodology

Choose the type of research methodology that is suitable for your research.

a.) Qualitative type is used in a theoretical type of research like that in literature.

Some research involves both; if your research topic also involves analyzing both the statistical data and theory, then make sure that you use them appropriately.   For a qualitative approach, the method section of your proposal needs to be more detailed and elaborate compared to the one in the quantitative approach. How you will collect your data and analyze it according to the qualitative approach should be described with great care.

b.) Quantitative research is suitable for projects involving collecting and analyzing statistical data like that in social sciences, medicine, and psychology.    When you choose a quantitative approach for your research, the method section should contain answers to the following elements.

• Design – Is it a laboratory experiment or a survey?
• What are the sample size and the subject of your study?
• What is the procedure of your study, and how will you carry out the activities involved in it?
• Describe your questionnaire or the instruments you will be using in the experiment.

Have detailed knowledge of all the research methodologies to justify your approach toward the research problem.

8. Present the Hypothesis or the Expected Research Results

In the research proposal, this section will contain the results of the research, but since this is a research proposal, you do not have the results yet. This is why you will add the expected research results here. These results are those that you aim to obtain from the research.

Sometimes the researcher gets the same kind of results, but sometimes, the results could differ from the expected ones.

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9. Mention the Ethical Considerations

It is an essential part of your outline. Researchers need to consider ethical values while conducting research work. Furthermore, you also have to be very careful in the data collection process and need to respect the rights of the participants.

They should not harm them in any way, and full consent should be obtained from them prior to the study.

Lastly, the writer’s moral duty is to promise complete confidentiality to feel comfortable while sharing information.

10. Discuss the Research Limitations

The research limitations indicate the flaws and shortcomings of your research. These may include:

• Unavailability of resources
• Small sample size
• Wrong methodology

Listing the limitations shows your honesty and complete understanding of the topic.

11. Add Proper References and Citation

Don’t forget the references section. You don’t want to get blamed for plagiarism. Always give references to the authors and the literature you have studied for your research.

There are two ways to cite your sources.

• Reference –  List the literature that you have used in your proposal.
• Bibliography –  List everything that you have studied, cited, or not while doing your study or while writing.

Follow a specific format for the citation section as instructed by your supervisor. It can be written in APA, MLA, Chicago, or Harvard style. Both references and a bibliography are included in it.

12. Edit and Proofread

Many students prefer not to proofread the proposal after completion, which is a grave mistake. If you proofread the paper on your own, you may fail to identify the mistakes. Use online tools or have a helping hand from your friend to give it a good read.

In the end, edit the document as per the needs.

Why Do Research Proposals Get Rejected?

An analysis of 500 rejected proposals allowed us to identify the common blunders made in them. These blunders caused the rejection of otherwise promising research. Therefore, to maximize the chances of acceptance, you must avoid these mistakes.

Here are some of those mistakes.

• The proposal stated a flawed hypothesis.
• The professor doubts the research will not bring new or useful results.
• The plan mentioned in the proposal lacks details and is unrealistic.
• It lacks coherence.
• The results obtained, or the hypothesis from the chosen method will be inaccurate.
• The review of the literature is not done correctly.
• Sufficient time was not devoted to writing the proposal.
• The proposal is copied or has been used by many other students in the past.

These are the common mistakes that result in rejection.

If you desire to make it shine, stick to your instructor’s guidelines and stay away from committing these mistakes. 

Research Proposal Examples

Looking for some helpful and detailed research proposal examples to get you started? Examples are great for a quick understanding of how something works or is written, in our case.

Here are some complete research paper proposal samples to help you write your own.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL SAMPLE

RESEARCH PROPOSAL EXAMPLE - APA

HOW TO WRITE A RESEARCH GRANT PROPOSAL

NSF RESEARCH PROPOSAL SAMPLE

MARKET RESEARCH PROPOSAL SAMPLE

PH.D. RESEARCH PROPOSAL SAMPLE

Research Proposal Topics

You can take ideas for your topic from books, journals, previously done research, and dissertations.

Here are a few topics you can choose from.

• How has technology evolved the English language over the last ten years?
• What are the effects of individualism on British literature?
• How has Feminism helped women get their rights over the last decade?
• What caused the fall of the Roman empire, and what are its effects?
• What factors caused World War II?
• What are the effects of World War II on diplomacy?
• Can cultural differences affect social interactions?
• How have violent video games affected brain development among children?
• How does alcohol affect aggression among a few people?
• How effective is the death penalty?

If you want to know more about finding a topic for your research paper and research paper topic examples, here is a list of interesting  research paper topics .

Research proposals can be critical because they require great attention. If you are inexperienced, you are likely to suffer. In a worst-case scenario, your proposal may get rejected.

Your dedicated professional and experienced essay writer at  5StarEssays.com is always here to help you. Being a professional essay writing service , we know how to craft a compelling research proposal and help you get it accepted.

Or, try using our AI powered paper writer to get quick writing help and sample citations. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a strong research proposal.

Your proposal must explain why your research is important in addition to explaining the methods that you will use. You should also position yourself within your field of study and give an overview of why this specific topic could be significant.

How many pages a research proposal should be?

Research proposals typically range between three and five pages in length. Research proposal formats vary across disciplines.

You should follow the format that is standard within your field, with special attention to what your faculty mentor prefers.

What tense should a research proposal be written in?

In a research proposal, use future tense for actions to be undertaken in the study. For example: A survey method will be employed , and a close-ended questionnaire will be used .

How long is a research proposal?

When writing a research proposal, it is best, to begin with, what you want to know more about. There is no set length for these proposals so they can be anywhere from 2,500 words up or down depending on the topic and scope of your study.

Does a research proposal have chapters?

Like a research paper, the introduction and conclusion of your proposal should be brief. In every chapter you include in your proposal, begin with an informative intro paragraph that captures what will follow in each section.

Similarly, for chapters near their end, conclusions summarize points discussed throughout the sections but also highlight what is most important about them overall.

What are the 7 parts of the research proposal?

The 7 parts of a research proposal include 

• Problem statement
• Literature review 
• Methodology

Each of these sections is key in order to craft an effective research proposal that will be approved by faculty members! 

PhD Essay, Literature

Nathan completed his Ph.D. in journalism and has been writing articles for well-respected publications for many years now. His work is carefully researched and insightful, showing a true passion for the written word. Nathan's clients appreciate his expertise, deep understanding of the process, and ability to communicate difficult concepts clearly.

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Introduction to Writing a Research Proposal: Structure, Format & Examples

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A research paper proposal is a document that outlines the research project that a student or researcher intends to undertake. It is usually submitted to a supervisor or committee for approval before the actual study begins.

Whether you are a student completing an assignment or a researcher seeking grants, approval, or funding, knowing how to write a research proposal is an essential skill. This article discusses the basics of formulating effctive proposals and provides examples for reference. If you're struggling with your proposal, don't hesitate to seek assistance from a reliable paper writing service . Our professional writers are highly experienced in various academic fields and can provide you with top-quality, custom-written papers that meet your requirements.

What Is a Research Proposal: Definition

So, what is a research proposal paper? A research proposal is a thoughtful explanation of what your project will focus on and how you will conduct the involved activities. A proposal makes you consider what your study will entail, how you will gather data and analyze it, and why your topic is significant. Through writing a proposal, you can clarify your research objectives, identify potential obstacles, and ensure that your research paper is well-planned and feasible. Ultimately, a well-written research proposal serves as a roadmap for your research project and helps to convince others of the value of your study.

What Is the Purpose of a Research Proposal?

The primary purpose of a research proposal is to convince your audience that your project aligns with the course requirements, and is feasible within the constraints of resources and time.  Essentially, research proposals serve as persuasive pitches to specific individuals. If these individuals are not convinced, you may need to develop an alternative plan and resubmit, resulting in additional costs in terms of time and resources. This could lead to delays in carrying out your actual study or, worse still, exceeding the allocated time frame. Here is why it’s important to write a research proposal:

• Significance Shows an audience that this is an insightful research paper needed to solve a real-world problem.
• Background Indicates that you have looked extensively at other works in your field and know the issue you will be studying.
• Approach Describes the suitability of your selected methodology. This shows that you have carefully considered the required data for addressing your issue and how you will collect, treat, and interpret it.
• Practicability Shows your investigation is worth undertaking and can be achieved within the set period.

How Long Should a Research Proposal Be?

Proposals are normally between 500 and 1500 words, even though some institutions usually specify the required limit. It is rare for a comprehensive research paper proposal to exceed this span since most of them take up a maximum of three pages long, excluding citations. Nonetheless, larger works such as a Ph.D. dissertation may require more details and, thus, a thesis proposal can be more extended. Note that some disciplinary differences also affect an exact research proposal length. Thus, be sure to check your instructions.

Research Proposal Outline & Template Example

Developing a research topic proposal outline is a crucial step in planning and organizing a research project. It helps to identify the main components of the work, their coverage, and how they fit into the argument.  A well-structured research paper outline gives direction for your study, ensuring that all the necessary elements are included and in a logical order. A research paper proposal outline also gives you a good idea of the extent to which you can conceptualize and articulate your points. Keep in mind that you do not need to offer extensive details at this phase. Leave that for the next stage. Here is an example of a research proposal outline. Use it as a research proposal template to fill in your details as you write your work.

• Hypothesis/question
• Definition of major concepts
• Significance and contribution
• Implications
• Strategy, methods, and design
• Literature cited

Research Proposal Structure

Although the structure of a research proposal can vary depending on factors such as discipline, institution, and instructions, there are standard requirements that must be followed. Specific sections must be included in a particular order to ensure a logical flow of the proposal.  The primary parts of a research proposal include:

• Title page Your working title goes here. It highlights a project’s content and direction. Ensure it's narrow, concise, descriptive, catchy, and informative. Also include your name, field of study, date of publication, and institution.
• Introduction In an introduction to a research proposal, you explain what you are investigating and why. Be creative and relevant because this is your opening subsection, which makes it very important. Also, remember to tell your readers about the organization of your work.
• Background and significance Scientific research proposals must highlight what is already known about your topic from the literature. This is like a brief history of your theme concerning current trends and helps you establish a foundation for what you will explore.
• Literature review Writing a proposal also requires that you engage in a critical examination of prior articles related to your subject area to identify gaps in knowledge or unresolved issues.
• Design and methodology Your study proposal should also include a description of how you will collect data and test your hypothesis/question. Additionally, identify the design you will use, the procedures to be followed, and the adopted analysis techniques.
• Implications Offer a general discussion regarding how your work will extend existing knowledge or benefit the field.
• Conclusions Reinforce the importance of your proposed work and summarize the entire project.
• References You must also offer an accurate list of all sources used in your proposal paper. Use a specific layout based on your instructions.

Remember to use these headings to demonstrate where one can find specific information. Need help writing papers for college ? Don’t wait any longer! Ask our professional for assistance.

Things to Consider Before Writing a Research Proposal

When writing a topic proposal, it is essential to answer the questions "what," "why," and "how" regarding your research. The project must clearly outline the chosen research topic and its context.  Mere suggestion of a topic is not sufficient; you must also explain why it is unique and relevant. In other words, your proposal should address an original issue. Additionally, it is crucial to identify the gaps in existing knowledge that your research aims to fill and explain the potential significance and usefulness of your proposed topic. Elaborate on the practical aspects of your research topic. This involves describing the methods you will use to conduct your study, outlining the chosen research design , and identifying the resources available to you. Provide a transparent overview of your methodology and the design decisions relevant to your research.

How to Write a Research Proposal

Now that you are familiar with the nature of this work, able to develop an outline, and comprehend the structure, you can begin drafting your proposal. This can be a daunting task if you have no idea how to write a good research proposal.  Nevertheless, it becomes more manageable when you break it down into specific stages. In the following sections, you will find step-by-step instructions on preparing a proposal paper. By completing all phases explained below, you will gain a better understanding of how to write a proposal for a research paper or any other study.

1. Design a Research Proposal Title Page

The research proposal title page expresses your topic’s main message. The purpose of a cover page is to convey a statement of your subject concisely and identify who is responsible for the work. It is the first section of your paper, and it must be relevant, short, and precise.  In general, include your title, name, and affiliation of the principal investigator and assistants, your institutional affiliation and submission date. Look at this example of the title page for a research proposal formatted in APA style.

2. Write a Research Proposal Introduction

Your research proposal introduction is the initial pitch of your project. Therefore, use it to establish the scene and place your study in context. Design this part to attract readers’ interest regarding your theme and project by making them want to continue reading until the end.  Here is how to write an introduction for a research proposal. Start by presenting to your audience your intention, why the investigation should be conducted, your passion for the subject area, and trends related to your problem. Finally, identify your research question and hypothesis statement . If you do not have one, indicate the line of inquiry you will use in your investigation. Research proposal introduction example

3. Provide a Context

This is part of your research proposal where you describe the context of your work and its significance. For this section, assume that your audience has insufficient time but wants to understand the essence of your issue and the whole investigation. You should focus on eliciting interest in your project, not providing extensive descriptions. Therefore, as you write a proposal for a paper, provide the necessary background by explaining your topic’s importance and why it is essential to grasp the major elements of your research.  Highlight the historical basis from the literature that resulted in your theme and problem under investigation, and elaborate on your purpose. Also, explain your rationale and why it is meaningful to explore the problem. Identify your main ideas to be examined using statements or questions and stress how the analysis develops on existing views about your subject. Remember to establish the boundaries of your proposed inquiry, as this offers a clear focus. Example of research proposal background

4. Prepare a Literature Review

The literature review section is typically the lengthiest and most comprehensive part of your research proposal. It is closely linked to the background section and primarily aims to synthesize previous research relevant to your topic, situating your proposed study within a broader body of existing investigations. This highlights the originality of your project and its contribution to expanding existing knowledge. Given the abundance of information typically included in this section, it is important to structure it logically when writing your research proposal. This allows readers to easily comprehend the connections between your work and existing studies in the field. To ensure a coherent flow in your research proposal writing, it is recommended to use subheadings based on major themes. Keep in mind that accessing sources online has become increasingly convenient with current technological trends. However, it is crucial to select peer-reviewed and dependable papers mainly from major databases or your school library. While you can present the sources in a unique way, the following steps outline how to write a literature review for your research proposal:

• Provide context and explain its significance to your research topic.
• Identify major themes or concepts for the review.
• Summarize and synthesize existing literature for each theme, highlighting key findings, gaps, and inconsistencies.
• Critically evaluate the literature's strengths, limitations, and relevance to your study.
• Highlight key insights and explain how they inform your research question or hypothesis in the conclusion.

Example of how to discuss sources in a research proposal

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5. Describe Your Research Design and Methods

The objective of the design section of a research proposal is to persuade your audience that the overall analysis approach will address the issue under investigation correctly. You also must convince readers that your methodological selections are relevant to the specific subject matter. Remember that this part should be connected to your objectives and aims. After identifying the relevant independent and dependent variables and defining their relationship, the next step is to select and present your study design. Common study models in scientific research proposals include observational and experimental design . To select an appropriate study design, it is important to consider various criteria and carefully evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your preferred approach. Additionally, potential confounding variables associated with your decision should be taken into account.  Here is an example of how to write a proposal paper for this segment. Research design proposal example

Research Proposal Methods Section

The methods section of a research proposal outlines the techniques to be used for data collection, analyses, and tests to ensure the validity . To begin, develop a plan for executing your work and explain how you will interpret your results in accordance with the project's objectives. In this section, discuss the sources and practices that will be used to conduct the study. Identify key authors, manuscripts, databases, or locations that will be critical to the project. The aim is to establish and justify the methodology that will be used to achieve the research goals. Your choices will depend on the variables to be measured and how they are interrelated.  Popular techniques include conducting surveys and questionnaires. Remember to cite any literature used to clarify your choices. To gain more insight into how to write a methodology for a research proposal, consider the following example: Methods section of research proposal example

6. Emphasize Your Contribution to the Field

It is also a good idea to spell out how you expect your research project proposal will extend, revise, or improve existing knowledge in your field. In other words, discuss the implications of your project to readers. While predicting outcomes with certainty is challenging, aim to be clear about their scope and nature, as well as the individuals who will benefit from the research. Ensure that the contribution of your research project is directly related to your exploration aims. The impact of your study can be at the theoretical or practical level, or both. For instance, it could result in the development of a new data analysis technique or a deeper theoretical understanding. You should consider how your investigation will contribute to addressing issues in your field and what it will mean for others in your focus area. It is essential to explain these possibilities in your scientific proposal.  Nonetheless, you should be realistic when identifying your expected conclusions. Don’t promise things that cannot be achieved. Rather, reflect carefully on existing gaps and demonstrate the way your work will address some or all of the problems.  The sample below shows how to write a research proposal contribution section. Implications in research topic proposal example

7. Conclude Your Research Proposal

In the conclusion section, reiterate the importance of your research proposal and provide a brief summary of your entire work. This section should be concise and to-the-point.  Begin by discussing the reasons why your research is necessary. In other words, how is it unique, and how will it advance current views in the field? In the research proposal conclusion, it is vital to:

• State the purpose of the experiment and the questions to be answered.
• Explain the suitability of the chosen design and methods.
• Describe how the research fits into the broader field and anticipate the outcomes.
• Encourage feedback and engagement from the audience.
• Summarize the proposal's key points and emphasize its significance in advancing knowledge in the field.

Here is how to do a research proposal conclusion: Conclusion of a research paper proposal example

8. Make a Research Proposal Reference List

As with other scholarly tasks, writing a paper proposal also requires citing any sources used. A list of references contains all the literature quoted in your project’s body. Ensure that everything here also appears within your work’s content. As you write your research proposal, referring to original texts only is advisable as this helps you identify or avoid any errors.  Generally, mentioning citations demonstrates that you did an adequate level of initial investigation to ensure that your study will enhance past efforts. Remember to prepare this section based on the format specified in your task instructions.  Usually, this part is excluded from the word count of research projects proposals. Example of a research proposal references

9. Include a Budget

If you intend to conduct a simple study, you may not be required to include this section. Nevertheless, if you are seeking funding for your project, then it is essential to offer a detailed budget in your proposal showing the cost of each main segment. Start by predicting and determining the total of all aspects of your work and add extra allowances for unforeseen events, price increases, and delays. The major elements in your application will include equipment, personnel, supplies and materials, publication and printing, lease of facilities, travel, overhead, and extras. Remember to present how much money you need to complete the whole project, justify why those funds are necessary, and describe how you arrived at your final amount. Also, state your financial plan on a yearly basis and ensure to confirm the types of expenses your agency covers. This helps in focusing on relevant components only as you write a study proposal.

10. Proofread and Edit a Research Proposal Draft

Proofreading your proposal before delivering it is also vital, just like in other types of writing tasks. You can ask colleagues, friends, or even your supervisor to read your work and offer suggestions and feedback. This process acts as an error check system to help you improve your piece.  Remember that the intention of writing your research proposal is to ensure that it is not rejected because of simple mistakes that can be corrected easily. Even if you are an experienced scholar, you can make sentence, structural, grammatical, or stylistic errors when writing a proposal for a research paper. Therefore, editing boosts your approval chances by identifying faults and enhancing your compliance with the required academic format.

Research Proposal Format

Most institutions or agencies usually offer information on how to format a research proposal. Some may provide complete templates in a specific layout with instructions about section contents. The styles vary and include APA, Chicago, MLA, or Harvard. The format primarily depends on the subject. For instance, APA style paper is more common for social and natural science works. MLA paper format is often preferred for projects in humanities. Therefore, be sure that you read all the instructions about your task to understand a paper proposal format. If this is not stated explicitly, you may need to seek more information from any relevant department, agency, or supervisor. Don’t select any design unless a specific guideline permits you to do so.

Research Proposal Examples

There are countless examples of research proposals that you can find in your field or for your target publisher. Read them to get a good idea of what you should include in yours or which aspects readers want. Even though scientific research proposal examples will not show you all relevant things, considering several of them is helpful as you sharpen your writing skills for this type of work. Look at the following research paper proposal samples: Research proposal example 1

Proposal paper example 2

Research proposal sample 3

Research Proposal Writing Tips

To avoid having to revise your research proposal paper, it is essential to ensure that it is written in the correct format. Here are additional tips on how to write a great research proposal:

• Avoid overly tentative or hesitant language such as “it appears that…” etc. Rather, be confident with your statements such as “I argue that…”.
• Use subheadings and bullet lists to break up large sections of your proposal.
• Expect potential limitations of your project and address them directly to enhance it.
• Ensure readers can skim your paper easily by highlighting all major sections and restating key arguments. This guides them through your manuscript.
• Look for samples of other proposals in your study field and examine how they prepare their documents.

Research Proposal Checklist

Before submitting your paper, ensure that you have included all the relevant elements and offered enough details. Look at the following checklist on how to write a research proposal to make sure that you have complied with all requirements:

Bottom Line on How to Write a Research Proposal

The proposal phase is a critical aspect of the research process as it enables you to conduct thorough background research and planning before beginning your actual work. This article has provided a comprehensive overview of the basics and steps on how to write research proposals.  By reviewing all the sections in this guide, you should be able to explain what a research proposal is. Additionally, to reinforce your understanding of key concepts, free research proposal samples have been provided. It is highly recommended to review these examples and practice writing to solidify your comprehension of the material.  The next stage is crafting your study. Check this useful resource to see how to write a research paper .

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FAQ About Research Proposals

1. what makes a good research proposal.

A good research proposal should demonstrate that you are conversant with the relevant literature in your field and describe what you will do. An effective paper:

• Mentions specific aims.
• Is inventive and original.
• Has preliminary data.
• Explains your approach.
• Identifies your work’s importance concerning the specific problem.
• Describes its contribution to the wider literature and field of study.

3. What tense should I use when writing a research proposal?

Your research proposal comprises three central parts. They include an introduction, a literature review, and a methodology, respectively. Each one of them has several subheadings. However, write your first section in the present tense, the second one using the past tense, and apply the future tense in your last segment.

2. How to start a research proposal?

Begin a research proposal by selecting a topic before formulating a question or hypothesis or a working thesis. This part of the writing process is very important because it will assist you in developing a solid basis for your project. Thus, set aside sufficient time for this section.

4. How to write a research paper proposal?

Write a research paper proposal in an unbiased and formal tone, just like you do for other types of academic essays. It is also important to be precise by complying with the general framework of these kinds of papers. In particular, a proposal for a research paper should contain at least a title page, introduction, literature review, design and methods, and reference list. Your reader is aware of these elements and expects you to include them. Remember to present your work logically and clearly.

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• checkbox I have demonstrated the logical basis and feasibility of my work.
• checkbox I included a clear question or hypothesis and provided its proper context.
• checkbox I have justified my research topic proposal using the literature.
• checkbox My project informs readers how I will explore an issue.
• checkbox I have argued effectively in my research proposal why the study should be funded or approved.
• checkbox My work is well-written and in compliance with the guidelines and style of a successful academic essay.
• checkbox I have cited all the sources.

Read more: How to Create an APA Format Title Page

Recent transformations in the IT curriculum focus more on first-year science courses. Researchers have done much work to assist in determining factors that predict success during this period. Nonetheless, most studies cannot validate their results because they lack an evaluation tool. The existing tools in this field are flawed, which makes them insufficient for assessing first-year IT courses. This research proposes to develop an evaluation instrument that can be administered to first-year IT students. Its validity and reliability will be considered. Developing this tool will allow the IT department to advance curriculum innovations for IT courses.

Read more: How to Start a Research Paper

Existing first-year IT curricula lack instructions regarding ways of implementing its guidelines and suggestions. This leaves departments to create individual approaches to course materials and develop curriculum tasks. However, when a new syllabus device is conceived, it is important to determine its effectiveness. Researchers examining new curriculum inventions use methods that consider exam scores, resignation percentages, course grades, or lab scores (Decker, 2012). However, these measures have been proven invalid and unreliable. Therefore, there is a need for a tool that can be used to evaluate how students comprehend the core IT material. This thesis aims to develop a validated and reliable evaluation tool to assess IT learners’ knowledge. Such a tool is unavailable currently because existing ones are designed for final-year students. Creating this tool will promote further experimentation as institutions develop this course.

Previous studies have described in detail how to teach introductory IT courses using diverse approaches (Owens et al., 2013, Evans, 2018). Other researchers highlight the importance of changing how students are taught IT due to learners being exposed to technology today (Soloway, 2012). They state that graphics and event-based approaches should be used to motivate IT students. These are among the numerous discussions in the literature. However, these studies lack empirical evidence to support the real effect of their approaches on introductory IT learning. This highlights a need for an accurate evaluation tool for IT courses during the first year of study.

The proposed study is based on a quantitative strategy with a focus on experimental design. The research will be conducted in phases starting with the process of producing an evaluation tool followed by its analysis, and lastly, testing to confirm its various parameters. These stages aim to ensure the generation of a reliable and valid product. Since human participants are involved at some stages, particularly during the testing part, seeking approval from the Institutional Review Board before commencing the inquiry is necessary.

For this study, a web-based survey will be developed. The participants include educators who are involved in advancing the IT curriculum. An invitation shall be sent to them asking for their voluntary involvement in evaluating the relevance of the instrument, as this aids in determining its validity. The survey contains two sets of questions. The first group focuses on gaining data about the types of units first-year IT students study and the involvement of educators in these courses. The next category acts as a follow-up of the first questions’ contents. Participants will offer their views about selected topics from the course.

This work aims to identify the relationship between the techniques for teaching IT. The findings will help teachers and researchers understand the basic skills required for first-year IT students regardless of the instruction approach. Besides, the development of a valid and reliable evaluation tool will enable course tutors to benchmark for units focusing on the effectiveness of various styles of IT instruction. Teachers can use the instrument to examine whether a specific teaching method enhances IT student performance. This will, in turn, allow them to know which tactics are good and which ones are inadequate. The poor techniques can then be reassessed and enhanced.

My proposed study is important and original because it will enhance the teaching of first-year IT courses in higher education institutions. The investigation particularly seeks to demonstrate the importance of using valid and reliable tools when developing a curriculum. Existing instruments are not supported by scientific evidence, differ in which factors they consider, and are mostly meant for final-year students. Thus, there is a need to create one to help tutors design appropriate instruction techniques for first-year students. The development of the tool will also enable educators and institutions to improve inadequate techniques.

View more: How to Write  Conclusion in Research Paper

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How to write a great research proposal

Continuing our series of postgraduate application tips, in this article Dr Ioannis Pantelidis of the University of Brighton Doctoral College shares his tips on writing a brilliant PhD proposal.

Depending on which university you are applying to, they will have their own ways of asking you to present a proposal, and there are some things you need to do before you reach the stage of having a complete proposal, so we will look at the whole cycle of what you should do before submitting. For example, on the University of Brighton website, you will find a page explaining how to make an online application which also includes some guidance on how to write a research proposal. Dr Pantelidis suggests to look for details on word counts and make sure that you have talked to an academic in the university before submitting the proposal.

The writing process

Have a passion – A deep interest in your subject area should be driving your proposal, whether it is your own individual proposal or a funded project.

Reading and researching – Start by reading as much around the subject area as possible. But once you start reading, Dr Pantelidis suggests that you also write notes at the same time and keep a note of the citations.

Reflecting – Very soon after you have been researching, you need to start reflecting on the thoughts you have gathered and gap you are filling in the research area. Once you have identified this, you can move on to the heavy writing.

Writing – This will be the main bulk of the writing you will do towards your research proposal. Dr Pantelidis reminds that the proposal should tell a story, and you want the reader to understand your thought process and take them on a journey throughout the proposal.

Reflect again – Once you have written the proposal, let it rest for a while and then revisit it, and read it again to see whether what you have written makes sense as a story.

Improve – Your reflection period should then allow you to identify areas in which you can improve, such as checking citations.

Discuss and reflect – Dr Pantelidis notes this as a very crucial point that once you have a very good draft, he suggests that having identified a potential advisor or two – an academic in the department of the university you have targeted – that you send them the draft of your proposal. Give them some time to have a look at it and then discuss how it can be improved further.

Rewrite – From your discussion with your potential supervisor, you will need to rewrite to include suggestions from your supervisor.

From here your proposal will then be submitted to the university. It is worth noting that having a potential supervisor within the university will give you a stronger chance of your proposal being accepted, so it is very much worth reaching out to supervisors before you submit a proposal. This can also give you a better chance of having this person as your supervisor or being part of your supervisory team. You will also need another person within the university to have an interest in your project to ensure you are invited to an interview.

Now that Dr Pantelidis has described the process of putting together your proposal, he provides this checklist of all of the elements that should be included in your project.

Elements of a proposal

Title – This is a key element as it will give an overview of the area of study you are covering with your project. The title should give people an indication on whether this is an area that they will be interested in or not, so it is important to win over potential supervisors at this early point.

Context of the research – You need to include why this is important to you and why you think there is a gap in the current research on this. Dr Pantelidis suggests around 500 words for this.

Literature – This is where you include what you have read and what you have learned from it. You should compare some existing literature from one or two different authors to come up with some insights on what exists in the bigger body of the literature and then making the link to your own project. Dr Pantelidis suggests around 1000 words for this.

Research questions / hypothesis / aim and objectives – Your research questions must be clear. Some proposal formats will prefer a hypothesis, which is more common for STEM subjects, or aims and objectives. Dr Pantelidis notes that writing a research question can feel more intuitive to your research or writing a key aim and what are the objectives in reaching that aim.

Methodology – This is explaining the strategy behind the methods you are using where you showcase that you understand the methodological implications – in other words you are putting together a strategy of how you are going to approach this project. Dr Pantelidis suggest around 500 words for this.

Ethics – Dr Pantelidis notes that it is becoming more common for supervisors to expect something about the ethical considerations of the project, so you need to demonstrate that you are aware of the implications your project has on potential stakeholders. It is possible to do this in 500 words.

Timescale – Here you need to show that you can recognise key milestones in your research and that you have a backup plan in case things go wrong. Dr Pantelidis suggests also using a Gantt chart which shows the breakdown of time needed on each part of the project. Overall you need to show a realistic understanding of how you will effectively carry out your project despite any disruptions to your plans. This can be done in 200 words.

Reference list – You will need to refer to other’s work to make your own arguments. This will vary from project to project, but you will need enough to back up all areas of the argument you are making. This could range from 15 – 40 citations.

Additional tips

University vs department – Dr Pantelidis notes to be careful when you send a proposal to a university versus a department. There may be a generic proposal that the university asks for in terms of structure, however individual departments can require different ways of proposals being submitted, such as the University of Brighton arts and humanities PhD proposals .

PhD depositories – Making use of PhD depositories will give you an idea of what PhD’s generally look like and this can help improve the format of your own work.

Grammar software – Making sure that your grammar and spelling is correct shows that you have taken the care with your work to remove silly mistakes. Software such as Grammarly can help spot these mistakes for you.

Reference software – This can help putting your references together and in the right format easier. You can use advanced features such as in Word to automatically create tables of contents or bibliography lists.

Supervisor – It is risky to submit a proposal to a university without having a connection within the department that you would hope to be your supervisor. Minimise this risk by approaching potential supervisors before submitting your proposal first.

Post interview – After a PhD interview, the supervisory team will look to develop your proposal further for study. If you submit a 1,000-word proposal, they will look to develop this into a 4- or 5,000-word proposal with further research. However, if you initially submit a longer proposal, you can save time and made the decision quicker for the panel.

You can watch Dr Pantelidis’ full video below.

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Preparing a research proposal

Before you write a research proposal, the best first step would be to provide a 500 word outline of your proposed research project. Forward this to any academic you feel would best suit your project – you can find contact details for staff in the subject websites. If you receive a positive response, you should then look to submit a formal application in the form of a research proposal.

What is a research proposal?

Your research proposal needs to outline the nature of your proposed PhD study and give some indication of how you will conduct your research. It is an integral part of the PhD application process, so it is certainly worth investing time and energy into it.

Your research proposal should leave a positive first impression upon the reader about your ‘fitness’ to study a PhD. It is  your  project, so it is important to demonstrate leadership in this first stage of the application process. An ideal proposal should leave the reader feeling in no doubt that you have done some preliminary research about your subject and that you are knowledgeable and ready to tackle the challenges of the PhD.

Give your proposal your utmost attention and time, but also be realistic ‐ you are not expected to know everything at this stage. Your proposal can also be flexible. It is not a contract. Always ask someone else to read your proposal before you submit it, and to offer you some critical but supportive feedback.

Remember that a research proposal is about what  you  want to study; it immediately reflects your initial understanding of, and commitment to, PhD study. A research proposal can and should make a positive and powerful first impression about your potential to become a good researcher.

Importantly, the main purpose is to enable the university to assess whether you are a good ‘match’ for our supervisors and our areas of research expertise.

Therefore, in a good research proposal you will need to demonstrate two main things:

• that you are capable of  independent critical thinking and analysis
• that you are capable of  communicating your ideas clearly

Applying for a PhD is like applying for a job, you are not applying for a taught programme.

When you start a PhD you will become a valued researcher in an academic department. Through your research proposal your colleagues want to know whether they can work with you, and whether your ideas are focussed, interesting and realistic. Try and impress them!

Your proposal should be indicative and it should  outline  your areas of interest and your general insight into the research topic. You are  not  expected to be an expert and to be familiar with all the specific details of your subject. However, you are expected to have a good level of knowledge about the subject and where you might make a valuable contribution to research. The perfect research proposal should leave the reader interested, excited and wanting to find out more about your ideas, and about you!

6 steps to a successful research proposal

A good research proposal should not be complicated. However, it can be challenging to write and it is important to get right. A PhD is challenging, so it is good training working on your research proposal. Although there is no exact prescribed format for a general research proposal (across all subjects), a research proposal should generally include  six  main sections, as detailed below:

1)      A clear working title for your research project

• What will you call your project?
• What key words would describe your proposal?

2)      A clear statement about what you want to work on and why it is important, interesting, relevant and realistic

• What are your main research objectives? These could be articulated as hypotheses, propositions, research questions, or problems to solve
• What difference do you think your research will make?
• Why does this research excite you?
• What research ‘gaps’ will you be filling by undertaking your project?
• How might your research ‘add value’ to the subject?
• Is your research achievable in the time allocated? (e.g. 3 years full‐time)

3)      Some background knowledge and context of the area in which you wish to work, including key literature, key people, key research findings

• How does your work link to the work of others in the same field or related fields?
• Would your work support or contest the work of others?
• How does your work relate to the expertise within the department you are applying to?

4)      Some consideration of the methods/approach you might use

• How will you conduct your research?
• Will you use existing theories, new methods/approaches or develop new methods/approaches?
• How might you design your project to get the best results/findings?

5)      Some indication of the strategy and timetable for your research project and any research challenges you may face

• What would be the main stages of your project?
• What would you be expecting to do in each year of your PhD?
• What challenges might you encounter and how might your overcome these?

6)      A list of the key references which support your research proposal

• References should be listed in the appropriate convention for your subject area (e.g. Harvard). Such references should be used throughout your research proposal to demonstrate that you have read and understood the work of others
• Other relevant material that you are aware of, but not actually used in writing your proposal, can also be added as a bibliography

All of the above six sections are important but section 2 is particularly important because in any research project, establishing your main purpose represents the whole basis for completing the research programme. Therefore, the value of your proposed research is assessed in relation to your research aims and objectives.

How long should a good research proposal be?

A good research proposal is as long as it takes, but a guide would be 1000-2000 words. Remember that it is meant to be an accurate overview, not a thesis, so you need to provide enough detail for the reader to understand it. A paragraph would not be enough and 5000 words likely too much.

The '3Cs' rule

When you have written your research proposal, ask a friend to read it critically and provide you with feedback. Also, ask yourself whether it follows the '3Cs' rule:

CLEAR : is what you have written intelligible and clearly articulated? Does it make sense, or is it vague and confusing? Does your proposal leave the reader with a clear sense of the purpose and direction of your research project?

CONCISE : have you written your proposal in a succinct and focussed way?

COHERENT : does your proposal link together well so that it tells the reader a short story about what you want to do, why you want to do it and how you will do it?

If you can answer all of these questions with confidence, you have probably put together a good proposal.

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• Dissertation

How to Write a Dissertation Proposal | A Step-by-Step Guide

Published on 14 February 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 11 November 2022.

A dissertation proposal describes the research you want to do: what it’s about, how you’ll conduct it, and why it’s worthwhile. You will probably have to write a proposal before starting your dissertation as an undergraduate or postgraduate student.

A dissertation proposal should generally include:

• An introduction to your topic and aims
• A literature review  of the current state of knowledge
• An outline of your proposed methodology
• A discussion of the possible implications of the research
• A bibliography  of relevant sources

Dissertation proposals vary a lot in terms of length and structure, so make sure to follow any guidelines given to you by your institution, and check with your supervisor when you’re unsure.

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Table of contents

Step 1: coming up with an idea, step 2: presenting your idea in the introduction, step 3: exploring related research in the literature review, step 4: describing your methodology, step 5: outlining the potential implications of your research, step 6: creating a reference list or bibliography.

Before writing your proposal, it’s important to come up with a strong idea for your dissertation.

Find an area of your field that interests you and do some preliminary reading in that area. What are the key concerns of other researchers? What do they suggest as areas for further research, and what strikes you personally as an interesting gap in the field?

Once you have an idea, consider how to narrow it down and the best way to frame it. Don’t be too ambitious or too vague – a dissertation topic needs to be specific enough to be feasible. Move from a broad field of interest to a specific niche:

• Russian literature 19th century Russian literature The novels of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky
• Social media Mental health effects of social media Influence of social media on young adults suffering from anxiety

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Like most academic texts, a dissertation proposal begins with an introduction . This is where you introduce the topic of your research, provide some background, and most importantly, present your aim , objectives and research question(s) .

Try to dive straight into your chosen topic: What’s at stake in your research? Why is it interesting? Don’t spend too long on generalisations or grand statements:

• Social media is the most important technological trend of the 21st century. It has changed the world and influences our lives every day.
• Psychologists generally agree that the ubiquity of social media in the lives of young adults today has a profound impact on their mental health. However, the exact nature of this impact needs further investigation.

Once your area of research is clear, you can present more background and context. What does the reader need to know to understand your proposed questions? What’s the current state of research on this topic, and what will your dissertation contribute to the field?

If you’re including a literature review, you don’t need to go into too much detail at this point, but give the reader a general sense of the debates that you’re intervening in.

This leads you into the most important part of the introduction: your aim, objectives and research question(s) . These should be clearly identifiable and stand out from the text – for example, you could present them using bullet points or bold font.

Make sure that your research questions are specific and workable – something you can reasonably answer within the scope of your dissertation. Avoid being too broad or having too many different questions. Remember that your goal in a dissertation proposal is to convince the reader that your research is valuable and feasible:

• Does social media harm mental health?
• What is the impact of daily social media use on 18– to 25–year–olds suffering from general anxiety disorder?

Now that your topic is clear, it’s time to explore existing research covering similar ideas. This is important because it shows you what is missing from other research in the field and ensures that you’re not asking a question someone else has already answered.

You’ve probably already done some preliminary reading, but now that your topic is more clearly defined, you need to thoroughly analyse and evaluate the most relevant sources in your literature review .

Here you should summarise the findings of other researchers and comment on gaps and problems in their studies. There may be a lot of research to cover, so make effective use of paraphrasing to write concisely:

• Smith and Prakash state that ‘our results indicate a 25% decrease in the incidence of mechanical failure after the new formula was applied’.
• Smith and Prakash’s formula reduced mechanical failures by 25%.

The point is to identify findings and theories that will influence your own research, but also to highlight gaps and limitations in previous research which your dissertation can address:

• Subsequent research has failed to replicate this result, however, suggesting a flaw in Smith and Prakash’s methods. It is likely that the failure resulted from…

Next, you’ll describe your proposed methodology : the specific things you hope to do, the structure of your research and the methods that you will use to gather and analyse data.

You should get quite specific in this section – you need to convince your supervisor that you’ve thought through your approach to the research and can realistically carry it out. This section will look quite different, and vary in length, depending on your field of study.

You may be engaged in more empirical research, focusing on data collection and discovering new information, or more theoretical research, attempting to develop a new conceptual model or add nuance to an existing one.

Dissertation research often involves both, but the content of your methodology section will vary according to how important each approach is to your dissertation.

Empirical research

Empirical research involves collecting new data and analysing it in order to answer your research questions. It can be quantitative (focused on numbers), qualitative (focused on words and meanings), or a combination of both.

With empirical research, it’s important to describe in detail how you plan to collect your data:

• Will you use surveys ? A lab experiment ? Interviews?
• What variables will you measure?
• How will you select a representative sample ?
• If other people will participate in your research, what measures will you take to ensure they are treated ethically?
• What tools (conceptual and physical) will you use, and why?

It’s appropriate to cite other research here. When you need to justify your choice of a particular research method or tool, for example, you can cite a text describing the advantages and appropriate usage of that method.

Don’t overdo this, though; you don’t need to reiterate the whole theoretical literature, just what’s relevant to the choices you have made.

Moreover, your research will necessarily involve analysing the data after you have collected it. Though you don’t know yet what the data will look like, it’s important to know what you’re looking for and indicate what methods (e.g. statistical tests , thematic analysis ) you will use.

Theoretical research

You can also do theoretical research that doesn’t involve original data collection. In this case, your methodology section will focus more on the theory you plan to work with in your dissertation: relevant conceptual models and the approach you intend to take.

For example, a literary analysis dissertation rarely involves collecting new data, but it’s still necessary to explain the theoretical approach that will be taken to the text(s) under discussion, as well as which parts of the text(s) you will focus on:

• This dissertation will utilise Foucault’s theory of panopticism to explore the theme of surveillance in Orwell’s 1984 and Kafka’s The Trial…

Here, you may refer to the same theorists you have already discussed in the literature review. In this case, the emphasis is placed on how you plan to use their contributions in your own research.

You’ll usually conclude your dissertation proposal with a section discussing what you expect your research to achieve.

You obviously can’t be too sure: you don’t know yet what your results and conclusions will be. Instead, you should describe the projected implications and contribution to knowledge of your dissertation.

First, consider the potential implications of your research. Will you:

• Develop or test a theory?
• Provide new information to governments or businesses?
• Challenge a commonly held belief?
• Suggest an improvement to a specific process?

Describe the intended result of your research and the theoretical or practical impact it will have:

Finally, it’s sensible to conclude by briefly restating the contribution to knowledge you hope to make: the specific question(s) you hope to answer and the gap the answer(s) will fill in existing knowledge:

Like any academic text, it’s important that your dissertation proposal effectively references all the sources you have used. You need to include a properly formatted reference list or bibliography at the end of your proposal.

Different institutions recommend different styles of referencing – commonly used styles include Harvard , Vancouver , APA , or MHRA . If your department does not have specific requirements, choose a style and apply it consistently.

A reference list includes only the sources that you cited in your proposal. A bibliography is slightly different: it can include every source you consulted in preparing the proposal, even if you didn’t mention it in the text. In the case of a dissertation proposal, a bibliography may also list relevant sources that you haven’t yet read, but that you intend to use during the research itself.

Check with your supervisor what type of bibliography or reference list you should include.

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Caulfield, J. (2022, November 11). How to Write a Dissertation Proposal | A Step-by-Step Guide. Scribbr. Retrieved 22 July 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/proposal/

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Other students also liked, what is a dissertation | 5 essential questions to get started, what is a literature review | guide, template, & examples, what is a research methodology | steps & tips.

What’s Included: Research Proposal Template

Our free dissertation/thesis proposal template covers the core essential ingredients for a strong research proposal. It includes clear explanations of what you need to address in each section, as well as straightforward examples and links to further resources.

The research proposal template covers the following core elements:

• Introduction & background (including the research problem)
• Literature review
• Research design / methodology
• Project plan , resource requirements and risk management

The cleanly-formatted Google Doc can be downloaded as a fully editable MS Word Document (DOCX format), so you can use it as-is or convert it to LaTeX.

PS – if you’d like a high-level template for the entire thesis, you can we’ve got that too .

Research Proposal Template FAQS

What types of research proposals can this template be used for.

The proposal template follows the standard format for academic research projects, which means it will be suitable for the vast majority of dissertations and theses (especially those within the sciences), whether they are qualitative or quantitative in terms of design.

Keep in mind that the exact requirements for the introduction chapter/section will vary between universities and degree programs. These are typically minor, but it’s always a good idea to double-check your university’s requirements before you finalise your structure.

Is this template for an undergrad, Master or PhD-level proposal?

This template can be used for a research project at any level of study. Doctoral-level projects typically require the research proposal to be more extensive/comprehensive, but the structure will typically remain the same.

How long should my research proposal be?

The length of a research proposal varies by institution and subject, but as a ballpark, it’s usually between 1,500 and 3,000 words.

To be safe, it’s best to check with your university if they have any preferences or requirements in terms of minimum and maximum word count for the research propsal.

How detailed should the methodology of the proposal be?

You don’t need to go into the fine details of your methodology, but this section should be detailed enough to demonstrate that your research approach is feasible and will address your research questions effectively. Be sure to include your intended methods for data collection and analysis.

Can I include preliminary data or pilot study results in my proposal?

Generally, yes. This can strengthen your proposal by demonstrating the feasibility of your research. However, make sure that your pilot study is approved by your university before collecting any data.

Can I share this template with my friends/colleagues?

Yes, you’re welcome to share this template in its original format (no editing allowed). If you want to post about it on your blog or social media, we kindly request that you reference this page as your source.

What format is the template (DOC, PDF, PPT, etc.)?

The research proposal template is provided as a Google Doc. You can download it in MS Word format or make a copy to your Google Drive. You’re also welcome to convert it to whatever format works best for you, such as LaTeX or PDF.

Do you have templates for the other chapters?

Yes, we do. We are constantly developing our collection of free resources to help students complete their dissertations and theses. You can view all of our template resources here .

Can Grad Coach help me with my dissertation/thesis?

Yes, you’re welcome to get in touch with us to discuss our private coaching services .

Further Resources: Proposal Writing

The template provides step-by-step guidance for each section of your research proposal, but if you’d like to learn more about how to write up a high-quality research proposal, check out the rest of our free proposal-related resources:

• Research Proposal 101
• Examples of research proposals
• How To Find A Research Topic
• How To Find A Research Gap
• Developing Your Golden Thread
• How To Write A Research Proposal
• 8 Common Proposal Writing Mistakes

You can also visit the Grad Coach blog for more proposal-related resources.

If you’d prefer 1-on-1 support with your research proposal, have a look at our private coaching service , where we hold your hand through the research process, step by step.

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Home » How To Write A Proposal – Step By Step Guide [With Template]

How To Write A Proposal – Step By Step Guide [With Template]

Table of Contents

How To Write A Proposal

Writing a Proposal involves several key steps to effectively communicate your ideas and intentions to a target audience. Here’s a detailed breakdown of each step:

Identify the Purpose and Audience

• Clearly define the purpose of your proposal: What problem are you addressing, what solution are you proposing, or what goal are you aiming to achieve?
• Identify your target audience: Who will be reading your proposal? Consider their background, interests, and any specific requirements they may have.

Conduct Research

• Gather relevant information: Conduct thorough research to support your proposal. This may involve studying existing literature, analyzing data, or conducting surveys/interviews to gather necessary facts and evidence.
• Understand the context: Familiarize yourself with the current situation or problem you’re addressing. Identify any relevant trends, challenges, or opportunities that may impact your proposal.

Develop an Outline

• Create a clear and logical structure: Divide your proposal into sections or headings that will guide your readers through the content.
• Introduction: Provide a concise overview of the problem, its significance, and the proposed solution.
• Background/Context: Offer relevant background information and context to help the readers understand the situation.
• Objectives/Goals: Clearly state the objectives or goals of your proposal.
• Methodology/Approach: Describe the approach or methodology you will use to address the problem.
• Timeline/Schedule: Present a detailed timeline or schedule outlining the key milestones or activities.
• Budget/Resources: Specify the financial and other resources required to implement your proposal.
• Evaluation/Success Metrics: Explain how you will measure the success or effectiveness of your proposal.
• Conclusion: Summarize the main points and restate the benefits of your proposal.

Write the Proposal

• Grab attention: Start with a compelling opening statement or a brief story that hooks the reader.
• Clearly state the problem: Clearly define the problem or issue you are addressing and explain its significance.
• Present your proposal: Introduce your proposed solution, project, or idea and explain why it is the best approach.
• State the objectives/goals: Clearly articulate the specific objectives or goals your proposal aims to achieve.
• Provide supporting information: Present evidence, data, or examples to support your claims and justify your proposal.
• Explain the methodology: Describe in detail the approach, methods, or strategies you will use to implement your proposal.
• Address potential concerns: Anticipate and address any potential objections or challenges the readers may have and provide counterarguments or mitigation strategies.
• Recap the main points: Summarize the key points you’ve discussed in the proposal.
• Reinforce the benefits: Emphasize the positive outcomes, benefits, or impact your proposal will have.
• Call to action: Clearly state what action you want the readers to take, such as approving the proposal, providing funding, or collaborating with you.

Review and Revise

• Proofread for clarity and coherence: Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
• Ensure a logical flow: Read through your proposal to ensure the ideas are presented in a logical order and are easy to follow.
• Revise and refine: Fine-tune your proposal to make it concise, persuasive, and compelling.

Add Supplementary Materials

• Attach relevant documents: Include any supporting materials that strengthen your proposal, such as research findings, charts, graphs, or testimonials.
• Appendices: Add any additional information that might be useful but not essential to the main body of the proposal.

Formatting and Presentation

• Follow the guidelines: Adhere to any specific formatting guidelines provided by the organization or institution to which you are submitting the proposal.
• Use a professional tone and language: Ensure that your proposal is written in a clear, concise, and professional manner.
• Use headings and subheadings: Organize your proposal with clear headings and subheadings to improve readability.
• Pay attention to design: Use appropriate fonts, font sizes, and formatting styles to make your proposal visually appealing.
• Include a cover page: Create a cover page that includes the title of your proposal, your name or organization, the date, and any other required information.

Seek Feedback

• Share your proposal with trusted colleagues or mentors and ask for their feedback. Consider their suggestions for improvement and incorporate them into your proposal if necessary.

Finalize and Submit

• Make any final revisions based on the feedback received.
• Ensure that all required sections, attachments, and documentation are included.
• Double-check for any formatting, grammar, or spelling errors.
• Submit your proposal within the designated deadline and according to the submission guidelines provided.

Proposal Format

The format of a proposal can vary depending on the specific requirements of the organization or institution you are submitting it to. However, here is a general proposal format that you can follow:

1. Title Page:

• Include the title of your proposal, your name or organization’s name, the date, and any other relevant information specified by the guidelines.

2. Executive Summary:

•  Provide a concise overview of your proposal, highlighting the key points and objectives.
• Summarize the problem, proposed solution, and anticipated benefits.
• Keep it brief and engaging, as this section is often read first and should capture the reader’s attention.

3. Introduction:

• State the problem or issue you are addressing and its significance.
• Provide background information to help the reader understand the context and importance of the problem.
• Clearly state the purpose and objectives of your proposal.

4. Problem Statement:

• Describe the problem in detail, highlighting its impact and consequences.
• Use data, statistics, or examples to support your claims and demonstrate the need for a solution.

5. Proposed Solution or Project Description:

• Explain your proposed solution or project in a clear and detailed manner.
• Describe how your solution addresses the problem and why it is the most effective approach.
• Include information on the methods, strategies, or activities you will undertake to implement your solution.
• Highlight any unique features, innovations, or advantages of your proposal.

6. Methodology:

• Provide a step-by-step explanation of the methodology or approach you will use to implement your proposal.
• Include a timeline or schedule that outlines the key milestones, tasks, and deliverables.
• Clearly describe the resources, personnel, or expertise required for each phase of the project.

7. Evaluation and Success Metrics:

• Explain how you will measure the success or effectiveness of your proposal.
• Identify specific metrics, indicators, or evaluation methods that will be used.
• Describe how you will track progress, gather feedback, and make adjustments as needed.
• Present a detailed budget that outlines the financial resources required for your proposal.
• Include all relevant costs, such as personnel, materials, equipment, and any other expenses.
• Provide a justification for each item in the budget.

9. Conclusion:

•  Summarize the main points of your proposal.
•  Reiterate the benefits and positive outcomes of implementing your proposal.
• Emphasize the value and impact it will have on the organization or community.

10. Appendices:

• Include any additional supporting materials, such as research findings, charts, graphs, or testimonials.
•  Attach any relevant documents that provide further information but are not essential to the main body of the proposal.

Proposal Template

Here’s a basic proposal template that you can use as a starting point for creating your own proposal:

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

I am writing to submit a proposal for [briefly state the purpose of the proposal and its significance]. This proposal outlines a comprehensive solution to address [describe the problem or issue] and presents an actionable plan to achieve the desired objectives.

Thank you for considering this proposal. I believe that implementing this solution will significantly contribute to [organization’s or community’s goals]. I am available to discuss the proposal in more detail at your convenience. Please feel free to contact me at [your email address or phone number].

Yours sincerely,

Note: This template is a starting point and should be customized to meet the specific requirements and guidelines provided by the organization or institution to which you are submitting the proposal.

Proposal Sample

Here’s a sample proposal to give you an idea of how it could be structured and written:

Subject : Proposal for Implementation of Environmental Education Program

I am pleased to submit this proposal for your consideration, outlining a comprehensive plan for the implementation of an Environmental Education Program. This program aims to address the critical need for environmental awareness and education among the community, with the objective of fostering a sense of responsibility and sustainability.

Executive Summary: Our proposed Environmental Education Program is designed to provide engaging and interactive educational opportunities for individuals of all ages. By combining classroom learning, hands-on activities, and community engagement, we aim to create a long-lasting impact on environmental conservation practices and attitudes.

Introduction: The state of our environment is facing significant challenges, including climate change, habitat loss, and pollution. It is essential to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills to understand these issues and take action. This proposal seeks to bridge the gap in environmental education and inspire a sense of environmental stewardship among the community.

Problem Statement: The lack of environmental education programs has resulted in limited awareness and understanding of environmental issues. As a result, individuals are less likely to adopt sustainable practices or actively contribute to conservation efforts. Our program aims to address this gap and empower individuals to become environmentally conscious and responsible citizens.

Proposed Solution or Project Description: Our Environmental Education Program will comprise a range of activities, including workshops, field trips, and community initiatives. We will collaborate with local schools, community centers, and environmental organizations to ensure broad participation and maximum impact. By incorporating interactive learning experiences, such as nature walks, recycling drives, and eco-craft sessions, we aim to make environmental education engaging and enjoyable.

Methodology: Our program will be structured into modules that cover key environmental themes, such as biodiversity, climate change, waste management, and sustainable living. Each module will include a mix of classroom sessions, hands-on activities, and practical field experiences. We will also leverage technology, such as educational apps and online resources, to enhance learning outcomes.

Evaluation and Success Metrics: We will employ a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Pre- and post-assessments will gauge knowledge gain, while surveys and feedback forms will assess participant satisfaction and behavior change. We will also track the number of community engagement activities and the adoption of sustainable practices as indicators of success.

Budget: Please find attached a detailed budget breakdown for the implementation of the Environmental Education Program. The budget covers personnel costs, materials and supplies, transportation, and outreach expenses. We have ensured cost-effectiveness while maintaining the quality and impact of the program.

Conclusion: By implementing this Environmental Education Program, we have the opportunity to make a significant difference in our community’s environmental consciousness and practices. We are confident that this program will foster a generation of individuals who are passionate about protecting our environment and taking sustainable actions. We look forward to discussing the proposal further and working together to make a positive impact.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Should you have any questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at [your email address or phone number].

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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WTO / Business / Proposals / 9 Free Research Proposal Templates (with Examples)

9 Free Research Proposal Templates (with Examples)

Research activities are often too complicated and costly to carry out single handedly from your own pocket. You need external funding and endorsement to be able to execute them. For that to happen, you have to draft a letter and present it to the various funders.

This letter is a research proposal. It proposes the project you intend to engage in while at the same time requests for sponsorship to that particular research. Knowing how to draft it is hence critical to your success. We offer more explanations to this letter in our subsequent discussions hereunder to help you in drafting one successfully.

Free Templates

Purpose of the Proposal

Upon receiving this letter, the funders and potential sponsors will evaluate its merit and potential impact before committing to fund it. This letter basically persuades the reader to adopt the solutions that are proposed therein too! It does this by spelling out the potential value that the reader stands to gain.

How to Write a Proposal

Even though these proposals differ markedly from one another, they are drafted using more or less similar steps.

Below are those steps highlighted and explained in detail:

Step I: Determine the project to research

First, determine the exact project. This is the problem which your research basically aims at solving. The problem, needless to say, has to be relevant to the community or humanity as a whole to be able to stand a chance of receiving the necessary funding.

Step II: Spell out the scope

Proceed now to spell out the scope of the research. ‘Scope’ here means the extent to which the project shall be valid and relevant. It also indicates the timelines that may have to be adhered to for the best outcomes to be attainable. Your funder will scrutinize these details to determine whether they merit funding.

Step III: Create an outline

Each proposal has to be carried out within a predefined framework. You have to spell out the precise framework within which yours is to happen. Come out with the relevant topics and steps that may have to be followed to attain the necessary end. This also will help in understanding the project altogether.

Step IV: Fill in the blanks

This is the core of the proposal altogether. Here, you basically fill the blank spaces which are left after outlining the scope of the project. To do this, write the details under each topic or step you have already delineated above. Be detailed and thorough in warding off any likely ambiguities.

Step V: Proof-read and edit

Needless to say, you have to proofread and edit the proposal before finally submitting the same to the prospective funder. Use grammar and spell checking tools to achieve this end. Documents that are devoid of any errors stand a higher chance of getting the funding. They are also deemed serious.

What to Include in It

A typical proposal has to comprise the following items:

• Purpose – This is a summary of the need which your research endeavors to solve.
• Title page – It is the first page of the proposal that displays the name of the author, the title of the research, its publisher, edition (if any), and the subtitle.
• Introduction – The introduction summarizes its nature, its scope, objectives, and the timelines within which it is to happen.
• Literature review – A literature review digs into some of the writings and studies that have already been conducted on the area of interest. It aims at identifying gaps that may be worked to solve the problem at hand.
• Design and methods – These are the strategies which you the researcher aims at adopting to be able to solve the problem or meet the particular need at hand.
• Implications and contribution to knowledge – In what ways will the research you have at hand contribute to knowledge and the advancement of humanity?
• Reference list or bibliography – These are the lists of sources from which you derive your basis.
• Schedule – It is a breakdown of the timeline within which you are to carry out the research and submit the final outcomes.
• Budget – Each research has to be funded by money. In this section, you basically state how much money you need plus how you plan to use the amounts to tackle specific segments.

Proposal Format

This is the basic format for all kinds of proposals. All you have to do is fill in the blanks with the relevant pieces of information:

• Purpose of a research proposal
• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Research design and methods
• Implications and contribution to knowledge
• Reference list or bibliography

Templates & Examples

Proposal example.

Research Proposal Sample Template

Things to Keep in Mind

To be able to draft a quality research proposal, there are a number of things you have to bear in mind.

In this segment, we delineate and explain to them for you to note:

Employ simpler language

Though this is an academic paper, the funder or financier may never have a background in matters of academics. You hence want to avoid technical languages that are likely to confuse the reader. Such an approach will also help the reader to interpret the proposal and make meaning easily.

Highlight the potential benefits

One sure way of having your proposal receiving immediate acceptance is to highlight the potential benefits and explain. Let the reader know what he or the entire humanity stands to gain from that research if and when it eventually materializes. It would help if it impacted multiple disciplines at a time.

Emphasize practicality

As part of the benefits that the proposal may bring about, it is also necessary that you emphasize the practicality of the research work. This simply means that you have to prove to the prospective financier the practical viability of the project. Many projects are turned down mainly because they fail on this.

Incorporate lots of facts

Your proposal ought to incorporate lots of facts to stand a chance of getting understood well. The facts have to be plain and not forced, squeezed or justified unnecessarily. Break the data down in forms that are easily understood. In this way, the readers will also get enlightened and educated considerably.

Things to Avoid when Writing a Research Proposal

Other than bearing some facts in mind, it is also important that you stay away from some otherwise common mistakes as you draft your proposal.

In this segment of our discussions, we explain these things you should avoid:

Forgetting to mention citations

Many people forget to mention the citations. This is not right as those citations are necessary to allow for independent corroborations of the facts contained in the proposal. Many readers will simply revert the proposal to you for completion.

Being overly descriptive

Though it is necessary to describe the project in-depth, you are cautioned against doing that excessively. You may confuse your reader with too many facts which he may not be in the position to digest and make meaning of. Instead, keep everything short and precise.

Writing out of topic

There has to be a perfect match between the topic and the contents that come thereafter. Some have had this tendency to write out of topic i.e., incorporate details that are way unrelated to the topic or the major subject of the research.

Too long or too short

The length of the proposal also matters. You want to cover all the essentials but, at the same time, refrain from making it too long for the reader to comb through easily while attempting to make meaning of the same. Thus, you have to keep the length moderate.

The tone of the research proposal

Given that this is an academic-cum official publication, it has to have a formal tone. Avoid using slang or unofficial languages to pass your concepts through. That is a recipe for immediate rejection. Take care though, that you do not use too hard vocabulary for the sake of those who may not be too learned.

Frequently Asked Questions

Many mysteries abound regarding this subject matter of the research proposal. Let us now take a look at some of these questions and what their answers are:

Around 2,500 words would suffice. Any longer would be too long for a reader. A shorter proposal, on the other hand, would definitely leave out some crucial details, a fact that potentially renders the proposal of no effect.

Generally, a good proposal has to address the question at hand in totality. It ought not to leave any gaps untouched as this might make the same incoherent and probably turned down by a would-be financier. The language in use also has to be simple and match the levels of literacy of the targeted reader.

There are five main types. These are: Solicited proposals – submitted in response to a specific matter. Unsolicited proposals – Drafted without any prior consultation and used to call for funding. Pre-proposals – An executive summary of a planner research work that spells out the budget estimates, targeted audience, planned methodology, and projective objectives. Continuation or non-competing proposals – Drafted to seek funding for ongoing work or project. Renewal or competing proposals – Written to compete for limited funding. In many cases, it pits multiple candidates and research writers. Renewal or competing proposals – Written to compete for limited funding. In many cases, it pits multiple candidates and research writers.

Our long and in-depth look into the subject of the research proposal comes to an end there. We now urge you to make good use of the provisions therein. That can only happen if you read the explanations carefully before setting out to write such a letter. It also pays to spread love abroad. Share the contents freely!

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• Indian J Anaesth
• v.60(9); 2016 Sep

How to write a research proposal?

Department of Anaesthesiology, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Devika Rani Duggappa

Writing the proposal of a research work in the present era is a challenging task due to the constantly evolving trends in the qualitative research design and the need to incorporate medical advances into the methodology. The proposal is a detailed plan or ‘blueprint’ for the intended study, and once it is completed, the research project should flow smoothly. Even today, many of the proposals at post-graduate evaluation committees and application proposals for funding are substandard. A search was conducted with keywords such as research proposal, writing proposal and qualitative using search engines, namely, PubMed and Google Scholar, and an attempt has been made to provide broad guidelines for writing a scientifically appropriate research proposal.

INTRODUCTION

A clean, well-thought-out proposal forms the backbone for the research itself and hence becomes the most important step in the process of conduct of research.[ 1 ] The objective of preparing a research proposal would be to obtain approvals from various committees including ethics committee [details under ‘Research methodology II’ section [ Table 1 ] in this issue of IJA) and to request for grants. However, there are very few universally accepted guidelines for preparation of a good quality research proposal. A search was performed with keywords such as research proposal, funding, qualitative and writing proposals using search engines, namely, PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus.

Five ‘C’s while writing a literature review

BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

A proposal needs to show how your work fits into what is already known about the topic and what new paradigm will it add to the literature, while specifying the question that the research will answer, establishing its significance, and the implications of the answer.[ 2 ] The proposal must be capable of convincing the evaluation committee about the credibility, achievability, practicality and reproducibility (repeatability) of the research design.[ 3 ] Four categories of audience with different expectations may be present in the evaluation committees, namely academic colleagues, policy-makers, practitioners and lay audiences who evaluate the research proposal. Tips for preparation of a good research proposal include; ‘be practical, be persuasive, make broader links, aim for crystal clarity and plan before you write’. A researcher must be balanced, with a realistic understanding of what can be achieved. Being persuasive implies that researcher must be able to convince other researchers, research funding agencies, educational institutions and supervisors that the research is worth getting approval. The aim of the researcher should be clearly stated in simple language that describes the research in a way that non-specialists can comprehend, without use of jargons. The proposal must not only demonstrate that it is based on an intelligent understanding of the existing literature but also show that the writer has thought about the time needed to conduct each stage of the research.[ 4 , 5 ]

CONTENTS OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

The contents or formats of a research proposal vary depending on the requirements of evaluation committee and are generally provided by the evaluation committee or the institution.

In general, a cover page should contain the (i) title of the proposal, (ii) name and affiliation of the researcher (principal investigator) and co-investigators, (iii) institutional affiliation (degree of the investigator and the name of institution where the study will be performed), details of contact such as phone numbers, E-mail id's and lines for signatures of investigators.

The main contents of the proposal may be presented under the following headings: (i) introduction, (ii) review of literature, (iii) aims and objectives, (iv) research design and methods, (v) ethical considerations, (vi) budget, (vii) appendices and (viii) citations.[ 4 ]

Introduction

It is also sometimes termed as ‘need for study’ or ‘abstract’. Introduction is an initial pitch of an idea; it sets the scene and puts the research in context.[ 6 ] The introduction should be designed to create interest in the reader about the topic and proposal. It should convey to the reader, what you want to do, what necessitates the study and your passion for the topic.[ 7 ] Some questions that can be used to assess the significance of the study are: (i) Who has an interest in the domain of inquiry? (ii) What do we already know about the topic? (iii) What has not been answered adequately in previous research and practice? (iv) How will this research add to knowledge, practice and policy in this area? Some of the evaluation committees, expect the last two questions, elaborated under a separate heading of ‘background and significance’.[ 8 ] Introduction should also contain the hypothesis behind the research design. If hypothesis cannot be constructed, the line of inquiry to be used in the research must be indicated.

Review of literature

It refers to all sources of scientific evidence pertaining to the topic in interest. In the present era of digitalisation and easy accessibility, there is an enormous amount of relevant data available, making it a challenge for the researcher to include all of it in his/her review.[ 9 ] It is crucial to structure this section intelligently so that the reader can grasp the argument related to your study in relation to that of other researchers, while still demonstrating to your readers that your work is original and innovative. It is preferable to summarise each article in a paragraph, highlighting the details pertinent to the topic of interest. The progression of review can move from the more general to the more focused studies, or a historical progression can be used to develop the story, without making it exhaustive.[ 1 ] Literature should include supporting data, disagreements and controversies. Five ‘C's may be kept in mind while writing a literature review[ 10 ] [ Table 1 ].

Aims and objectives

The research purpose (or goal or aim) gives a broad indication of what the researcher wishes to achieve in the research. The hypothesis to be tested can be the aim of the study. The objectives related to parameters or tools used to achieve the aim are generally categorised as primary and secondary objectives.

Research design and method

The objective here is to convince the reader that the overall research design and methods of analysis will correctly address the research problem and to impress upon the reader that the methodology/sources chosen are appropriate for the specific topic. It should be unmistakably tied to the specific aims of your study.

In this section, the methods and sources used to conduct the research must be discussed, including specific references to sites, databases, key texts or authors that will be indispensable to the project. There should be specific mention about the methodological approaches to be undertaken to gather information, about the techniques to be used to analyse it and about the tests of external validity to which researcher is committed.[ 10 , 11 ]

The components of this section include the following:[ 4 ]

Population and sample

Population refers to all the elements (individuals, objects or substances) that meet certain criteria for inclusion in a given universe,[ 12 ] and sample refers to subset of population which meets the inclusion criteria for enrolment into the study. The inclusion and exclusion criteria should be clearly defined. The details pertaining to sample size are discussed in the article “Sample size calculation: Basic priniciples” published in this issue of IJA.

Data collection

The researcher is expected to give a detailed account of the methodology adopted for collection of data, which include the time frame required for the research. The methodology should be tested for its validity and ensure that, in pursuit of achieving the results, the participant's life is not jeopardised. The author should anticipate and acknowledge any potential barrier and pitfall in carrying out the research design and explain plans to address them, thereby avoiding lacunae due to incomplete data collection. If the researcher is planning to acquire data through interviews or questionnaires, copy of the questions used for the same should be attached as an annexure with the proposal.

Rigor (soundness of the research)

This addresses the strength of the research with respect to its neutrality, consistency and applicability. Rigor must be reflected throughout the proposal.

It refers to the robustness of a research method against bias. The author should convey the measures taken to avoid bias, viz. blinding and randomisation, in an elaborate way, thus ensuring that the result obtained from the adopted method is purely as chance and not influenced by other confounding variables.

Consistency

Consistency considers whether the findings will be consistent if the inquiry was replicated with the same participants and in a similar context. This can be achieved by adopting standard and universally accepted methods and scales.

Applicability

Applicability refers to the degree to which the findings can be applied to different contexts and groups.[ 13 ]

Data analysis

This section deals with the reduction and reconstruction of data and its analysis including sample size calculation. The researcher is expected to explain the steps adopted for coding and sorting the data obtained. Various tests to be used to analyse the data for its robustness, significance should be clearly stated. Author should also mention the names of statistician and suitable software which will be used in due course of data analysis and their contribution to data analysis and sample calculation.[ 9 ]

Ethical considerations

Medical research introduces special moral and ethical problems that are not usually encountered by other researchers during data collection, and hence, the researcher should take special care in ensuring that ethical standards are met. Ethical considerations refer to the protection of the participants' rights (right to self-determination, right to privacy, right to autonomy and confidentiality, right to fair treatment and right to protection from discomfort and harm), obtaining informed consent and the institutional review process (ethical approval). The researcher needs to provide adequate information on each of these aspects.

Informed consent needs to be obtained from the participants (details discussed in further chapters), as well as the research site and the relevant authorities.

When the researcher prepares a research budget, he/she should predict and cost all aspects of the research and then add an additional allowance for unpredictable disasters, delays and rising costs. All items in the budget should be justified.

Appendices are documents that support the proposal and application. The appendices will be specific for each proposal but documents that are usually required include informed consent form, supporting documents, questionnaires, measurement tools and patient information of the study in layman's language.

As with any scholarly research paper, you must cite the sources you used in composing your proposal. Although the words ‘references and bibliography’ are different, they are used interchangeably. It refers to all references cited in the research proposal.

Successful, qualitative research proposals should communicate the researcher's knowledge of the field and method and convey the emergent nature of the qualitative design. The proposal should follow a discernible logic from the introduction to presentation of the appendices.

Financial support and sponsorship

Conflicts of interest.

There are no conflicts of interest.

Proposal Tips: 33 Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills & Win Business 

• AEC Marketing
• Digital Asset Management

Posted by: Cinthya Soto

Regardless of your experience with proposal writing, putting together a proposal can always feel a bit overwhelming. That’s because creating a winning proposal is both an art and a science. Whether you’re competing for a major contract or seeking new business opportunities, your proposal’s quality can make or break your chances. 

Although there will always be competition when it comes to winning a client through your proposal, there are ways you can improve your chances of standing out from the rest. 

In this blog, we’ll provide you with 33 actionable insights to help you refine your proposal writing skills. Our proposal tips are designed to help professional proposal writers create persuasive, compelling proposals that stand out and win more business . 

From tips to help you before you start writing and tips for professional proposal writers to tips to help you improve your proposal writing process and tips on using AI for proposal writing, we have you covered.

Prior to Writing Your Proposal 

Before diving into the specifics of crafting your proposal, it’s essential to set the groundwork effectively. This preparatory phase is not just about organizing your thoughts but also about aligning your objectives with the expectations outlined in the Request for Proposal (RFP). 

Here’s what you should do before writing your proposal: 

Conduct In-Depth Research 

Identifying relevant information, data, and resources is crucial for crafting a compelling project proposal. Prior to writing your proposal, thoroughly review the Request for Proposal (RFP) to understand the formatting requirements , submission guidelines, and key insights about the client. 

Ask yourself:

• What are the customer’s biggest pain points?
• What do the key decision-makers care about most?
• Why is your solution the best choice, and where does your competition fall short?

Answering these questions helps you personalize the proposal to the client’s needs. For example, if the client is focused on ease of adoption, emphasize your training and support services in your win themes.

To further tailor your proposal, research the client’s business and industry. Review their website and marketing materials, conduct a SWOT analysis, and study industry trends and best practices. 

This comprehensive understanding will help you craft a proposal that stands out and addresses the client’s unique needs and challenges. 

Plan and Outline Your Document 

Before you start writing, carefully plan your document to ensure a clear and logical flow. Define your purpose, audience, scope, and structure. Knowing why you are writing, who you are writing for, what you are writing about, and how you will organize your information is crucial.

Organize your proposal to follow a clear and logical structure. If the RFP mandates an outline, use it to your advantage. Include headlines and images to highlight your ability to communicate value within the required format.

Additionally, utilize tools such as mind maps, outlines, or templates to brainstorm, organize, and prioritize your ideas. These tools can help you identify gaps or issues that need to be addressed and ensure that your proposal is comprehensive and well-structured.

This process allows you to create a roadmap that guides your writing process, making it easier to convey your message effectively and persuasively. 

Define Goals and Objectives 

Clearly defining the project’s objectives is crucial for a successful proposal. Start by asking: What do you aim to achieve? Why is it important? 

Use the SMART goals framework: 

• Specific: Clearly define what you want to accomplish. 
• Measurable: Identify how you will measure success. 
• Achievable: Ensure the goals are realistic and attainable. 
• Relevant: Align objectives with broader business goals. 
• Timely: Set a clear timeline for achieving these goals.

Clearly stated objectives provide direction and improve the chances of project success.  

Align With Key Stakeholders 

Writing a proposal isn’t just about showcasing how you’ll reach your goals and objectives; it’s about understanding and addressing the needs and expectations of all stakeholders involved in the decision-making process. 

Stakeholders can be internal or external, direct or indirect, supportive or resistant, and each group holds interest, influence, or power over the outcome of your proposal. 

To write a proposal that meets all stakeholders’ needs, follow these steps before you start writing: 

1. Identify Stakeholders: Determine who has an interest or influence in your project. This includes both direct and indirect stakeholders.

2. Understand Needs: Engage with stakeholders to understand their expectations, concerns, and what they hope to achieve from the project.

3. Define Deliverables: Clearly outline what you will produce at the end of your project, such as a product, program, or technology upgrade. By providing a clear vision of your project’s deliverables, you help stakeholders visualize its outcome and value. 

Understanding and addressing stakeholder needs enhances the clarity and effectiveness of your proposal and increases the likelihood of winning business by demonstrating a comprehensive and thoughtful approach. 

Proposal Writing Tips

Now that you’re ready to start writing your proposal, you may be wondering how to write an effective proposal. Let’s take a look at some proposal writing tips to help you increase your chances of landing that client.  

Highlight the Benefits and Value 

To craft a compelling proposal, focus on the benefits and value your solution provides to the client.

To begin, explain how each key feature of your solution directly addresses the client’s needs, such as eliminating frustrating delays and enhancing efficiency. Highlight the impact of your solution rather than delving into technical details, helping the client see why your solution is a worthwhile investment.

Additionally, paint a clear picture of how your solution will solve the client’s problems, improve their situation, and contribute to their success. Focus on the major benefits that matter most to the client, such as reduced costs, lower risks, improved quality, increased efficiency, and expedited timelines. Ensure these benefits align with what the client truly cares about.

Start by identifying the client’s key concerns. For each issue, highlight the solution features that address these concerns and articulate the quantified benefits the client will receive. This approach shows why your solution matters and how it specifically meets their needs.

Furthermore, use strong theme statements, proof points, and feature/benefit tables to emphasize benefits. Ensure that the articulation of benefits is woven throughout the narrative, consistently reinforcing the value your solution brings. 

Be Clear and Concise 

When writing proposals, it’s crucial to use clear, straightforward language and avoid jargon or technical terms that the client may not be familiar with. 

Keeping your proposal concise and to the point ensures the reader understands your message efficiently and interprets it accurately. This approach not only amplifies your persuasive tactics but also makes readers more receptive to your solution. 

To keep your writing clear and concise, organize your proposal with a clear and logical structure. If the solicitation mandates an outline, use it to your advantage. 

Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and tables to break down complex information and guide the reader through your proposal. This makes it easier to read and understand.

You should also use familiar language to describe your solution and spell out acronyms to ensure clarity. 

Additionally, showcase your value proposition using strong action verbs. Create clear and concise sentences that make it easy for the reader. In technical proposal writing, if you must use jargon, make sure to define technical terms or industry acronyms within the proposal for the reader’s clarity. 

Use active voice to make your writing more direct, confident, and engaging. Active voice sentences are typically shorter and more straightforward than passive ones, improving readability and helping readers grasp your message quickly. 

Whether you’re bound by a page limit or a reviewer’s attention span, make the most of the space available. Break information into smaller, digestible pieces using short paragraphs, bullet points, or an outline structure. This prevents readers’ eyes from glazing over and keeps them engaged. 

Keep It Simple 

Relevant to being clear and concise, you should also keep it simple. For proposal writing, simple is best. Consider the impact of dense, jargon-filled writing that is difficult to understand and retain. 

Strengthen your writing by cutting down on unnecessary wordiness. Concise writing makes your response clearer and easier to read. Replace redundant phrases like “basic necessities” with “necessities.” 

Additionally, use simple, precise words instead of complicated phrases. For example, replace “in light of the fact” with “because” to make your writing clearer and more direct. 

Moreover, direct language keeps your reader engaged, which is crucial when reviewers may need to read dozens of similar proposals. 

Cutting unnecessary words, avoiding jargon, and using plain language make your writing more accessible and your ideas easier to understand and remember. This approach helps reviewers quickly grasp your value proposition and share it with others.

Simple, clear language also promotes clarity and transparency, which increases the reader’s trust. For agencies unfamiliar with your organization, establishing your integrity is key. Focusing on clear and concise language, not only makes your proposal more readable but also more persuasive. 

Use Persuasive Writing 

Speaking of making your proposal persuasive, persuasive writing differentiates your proposal from the rest. 

Here’s how you can practice persuasive writing:  

• Focus on Benefits: Shift the conversation from features to benefits. Show how your solution addresses the client’s needs and provides tangible benefits, building a more compelling case for your solution.
• Guide the Readers: Frame your proposal to position the reader as the hero of the story. Injecting a touch of emotion can breathe life into your writing. Share stories of overcoming challenges to evoke feelings that motivate readers to take action. 
• Use Repetition and Rephrasing: Strategically repeat and rephrase key points throughout your proposal. This creates a structure and rhythm that readers appreciate, emphasizing important topics and making them more memorable.
• Logical and Emotional Appeals: Use both rational and emotional persuasion techniques. Incorporate facts, third-party endorsements, proof of results, and case studies to appeal to logic. For emotional appeals, show how your solution helps achieve their dreams and eliminates their fears and frustrations. 

These techniques help you create a persuasive and memorable proposal that stands out from the competition and resonates with the decision-makers. 

Write With Empathy 

Empathy is crucial in crafting winning proposals, as it helps you connect with readers on a deeper level by stepping into their shoes and discussing the project from their perspective.

To humanize your proposal, allow readers to relate to you emotionally. This builds trust and reminds readers that decisions are made by people, not just data. This also shows you write your proposal with the client top of mind and that you’re invested in their success.

Additionally, show that you understand the client’s challenges and frustrations. Empathize with their emotional concerns and demonstrate awareness of the pressure they are under. This creates trust and positions you as someone who can alleviate their worries. 

You can also convey excitement about the project using positive language. Use “we” statements to create a sense of shared experience and goals. This personal approach communicates genuine interest in their project. 

However, don’t forget to shift the focus back to the client when necessary by changing sentences from “we” or “our” to “you” or “your.” This simple shift can make your proposal more empathetic and client-centered. 

Furthermore, you can leverage storytelling by identifying the main elements: hero (the customer), villain (their pain point), goal (their objective), and challenges (obstacles you help them overcome). This approach focuses on the customer and their goals, showing that a happy ending is achievable. 

To help with storytelling, incorporate stories from your experience or expertise to speak to the reader’s aspirations. Show them how you will help them reach their dreams and beat their fears. 

A simple key secret is to write professionally but as if you are helping a friend. Show that you feel their pain and understand their perspective, showing how genuinely invested you are in their success. 

Use Active Voice 

Strengthen your writing by switching from passive voice to active voice. Passive voice can hide who is performing the action and make your writing wordier and harder to follow. Active voice, on the other hand, places the subject first, making your sentences more straightforward and concise. 

For example, if you’re using passive voice, you would say “The proposal was written by our team,” but if you’re using active voice, you would say “Our team wrote the proposal.” 

Here are some benefits of using active voice:

• Clarity: Active voice clearly shows who is performing the action.
• Conciseness: Active sentences are usually shorter and more to the point.
• Persuasiveness: Active voice is more dynamic, confident, and persuasive.
• Responsibility: Active voice accepts responsibility for the action, creating a stronger connection with your reader.  

Proposals written in strong, clear language, such as active voice are more effective. Don’t forget, our goal is to win business and convince the readers that our solution is the best choice and we are certain of it. 

By consistently using active voice, your proposal will be more engaging and easier to understand, making it more likely to persuade and win over decision-makers. 

Quantify the Impact 

Quantifying the impact of your proposal strengthens your argument and enhances credibility. Highlight outcomes like time savings or increased output using data or case studies to show how you have helped similar clients overcome challenges. 

For every feature in your proposal, ask yourself, “What is the biggest benefit and why does it matter to the client?” This ensures your proposal remains focused on delivering tangible value.

Moreover, avoid unsubstantiated claims, which can undermine your credibility. Instead of using vague terms like “high,” “numerous,” or “highly reliable,” use specific metrics. 

For example, instead of saying “Our solution offers high productivity,” quantify it as “Our solution increases productivity by 25%, saving clients an average of 10 hours per week.” 

Remember to back up your claims with relevant evidence. Use data, statistics, benchmarks, and quotes to showcase measurable value. This differentiates you as a trusted partner with a proven track record.

Quantifying results in this way will make your proposal more compelling and easier for evaluators to validate. 

Explain “Why” Your Solution Is the Best 

Understanding “why” your solution is the best choice keeps your proposal focused and compelling. You should always make sure the client understands why each piece of content you provide matters, whether it’s text, a graphic, or an image. If it needs to be clarified, explain it. 

If you can’t explain why something is important, it likely isn’t, and you should cut it from your proposal.

To effectively explain why your solution is the best, focus on impact. From the customer’s perspective, they want to know why your solution matters. Demonstrate that you understand the impact of your actions and how they provide tangible benefits to the client.

Make your proposal easy to follow, clear, and cohesive. Your message should be concise and focused on the customer’s needs. Speak to their “why”—the value you bring to the partnership and why you are the right partner for them.

Moreover, bad proposal writing often only describes the company or offering without explaining the rationale behind it. Customers want to understand why you do things a certain way and the benefits it brings them. When you read an RFP, don’t just describe your approach—explain why you’ve chosen it and how it benefits the client.

Always explaining the “why,” helps make your proposal more engaging and persuasive, helping the client see the value and importance of your solution. 

Maintain Consistent Tone and Style 

Establishing a consistent tone and style is essential for creating persuasive proposals. 

Start by outlining the appropriate tone you want in your proposal by providing a clear description of how your voice should sound. Whether it’s professional, friendly, simple, or concise, ensure it aligns with your brand and resonates with your audience. 

However, a major struggle for many is maintaining a single style that supports an overall theme. This is especially challenging when delivering complex information concisely and digestibly. 

Therefore, it’s important to ensure that all sections of your proposal contribute to a cohesive message in a singular style. This unified approach makes your proposal more effective and impactful. 

Moreover, establish the general style guide your company should use and provide any in-house guidelines that might drift from the standard. This helps maintain consistency and clarity throughout your document.

Lastly, if you use AI tools, experiment with them to get inspiration on improving your proposals. Specify the style you wish to apply, the information to add, and the benefits to emphasize. These tools can provide valuable ideas and help you refine your writing. 

Customize Your Proposal to the Audience 

To create compelling proposals, avoid relying on stale boilerplate content. Boilerplate content refers to pre-written, standardized text that is commonly used in multiple documents or proposals. 

It is designed to save time and ensure consistency across various documents by providing a starting point that can be customized as needed for specific proposals or clients. 

While boilerplate content is useful for efficiency, it must be regularly updated and tailored to each unique situation to remain relevant and effective.

Periodically reviewing your proposals helps identify and update outdated or inaccurate information, as using irrelevant content can damage your credibility and lead to missed opportunities. 

Start by assessing whether the content accurately reflects your current approach, services, and focus. Check for outdated statistics, case studies, or references, and ensure the language is clear, concise, and free of jargon.

Once you’ve found outdated content, update it to reflect your current practices. This includes researching new statistics or case studies, rewording content to align with your latest approach, or deleting unnecessary information. 

Customizing your content for each specific proposal is crucial. Show the client that you understand their unique needs by using their language and terminology, and addressing their specific concerns and challenges directly.

Boilerplate content can be a useful starting point but should be tailored to speak to the unique pain points of each customer. This ensures your proposals are fresh, relevant, and effective in communicating your message. 

Clients don’t want generic proposals; they want to know how you will customize your services for them. By putting yourself in the customer’s shoes and personalizing your proposals, you demonstrate a commitment to meeting their specific needs and significantly increase your chances of winning their business. 

Write Engaging Headers 

Good proposal writers know that headings are crucial for structuring a proposal, acting as signposts to help evaluators find information quickly. However, great proposal writers understand that headings can also be powerful statements that emphasize your win themes. 

Therefore, you should clearly organize your proposal with headings that help evaluators quickly find key information. 

Consider the difference between a vague heading like “Our Solution” and a more descriptive one like “Stronger Security for Your Peace of Mind.” The latter is more compelling. 

To make your headings impactful, read through them and ask yourself whether they:

• Communicate a key benefit or pain point
• Entice the evaluator to read more
• Capture the main points of the body text

If your answer is “no” to any of these, your headers need tweaking.

In cases where RFPs have strict heading requirements, channel your creativity into the first sentence of each paragraph instead. Make sure the key points are immediately clear.

Focus on adding more details, incorporating stats and figures where possible. Make your headings actionable by starting with a verb or adding power words to evoke emotion. 

This approach not only makes your proposal easier to navigate but also ensures your key messages are communicated effectively, increasing your chances of success.  

However, if you’re struggling to find the words, you can use AI tools for brainstorming. Paste a section of your proposal into an AI tool, like ChatGPT, and ask it to generate five different headlines, or start with a basic headline and ask it to make it more powerful. 

Use Strong Hooks While Writing Your Proposal

Capture the reader’s attention with strong openings and closings in your proposals. Start with a hook that highlights your value proposition, such as a surprising statistic or a bold statement. For example, “Imagine reducing your operational costs by 30% within six months.” 

Moreover, each section should include a strong summary and transition to the next part. For example, “By implementing our solution, you’ll streamline processes and achieve significant cost savings. Next, we explore the features that make this possible.” 

Lastly, ensure each opening and closing ties back to your main value proposition, creating a persuasive and cohesive narrative. Using strong hooks throughout will make your proposals more engaging and persuasive, increasing your chances of success. 

Advanced Tips for Professional Proposal Writers 

If you’re a more experienced proposal writer and are looking for advanced proposal tips to help you improve your proposal writing, here are bonus tips you can apply to make your proposal writing process more efficient and help your proposal stand out: 

Focus on the Customer 

When writing proposals, teams often emphasize their qualifications and solutions, detailing how great they are and the superior services they provide. However, this approach is not customer-focused. 

Instead, proposals should center on how your solution meets the customer’s needs and the benefits they will receive. To make your proposals more customer-focused, make sure you check off the following: 

• Speak the Customer’s Language: Use the terminology from the RFP and align your language with the customer’s.
• Prioritize the Customer: Focus on the customer’s needs and goals rather than your company’s achievements. 
• Emphasize the Customer’s Name: Mention the customer’s name more frequently than your own to reinforce their importance.
• Address Key Issues: Write to the customer’s key concerns and articulate the benefits they will receive from your solution. 

Avoid filling your proposal with general marketing information about your company. 

Proposal Expert Insight:

“ Different mediums serve different messages. Unlike a general brochure or your website, which is designed to appeal to a large audience, proposals are unique to one client. It’s kind of like buying a car – the dealership website shows all their offerings, but once you’re on the lot the sale is tailored to the specific features and options you’re looking for. This personalized conversation, just for you, is exactly what a proposal should be for your client. ” — Rachelle Ray, Proposal Management Consultant, RMR Consulting .

Instead, concentrate on the customer’s goals, demonstrating how your company will help them achieve these goals and addressing the challenges they face today. The more your proposal focuses on the customer, the more likely they are to respond positively.

To create a customer-focused proposal, ask yourself, “What does the customer want out of this section?” and deliver precisely that. 

Moreover, when reading a proposal, evaluators are on a mission to find specific answers that help them decide whether to choose your solution over competitors. Therefore, anticipate their questions and address them directly. 

“ A proposal is kind of like a handshake – it sets the tone for the rest of the relationship. You want a strong, confident handshake. In proposals, that confidence comes from clearly understanding what the client needs and showing them a direct path to attaining it. ” — Rachelle Ray, Proposal Management Consultant, RMR Consulting .

Understand the Client’s Pain Points 

To write a winning proposal, empathize with your client’s struggles and frame their pain points as challenges that need solutions. This approach positions you as a partner who understands their issues and can offer relief.

Demonstrate that you comprehend the client’s frustrations and the pressures they face. This builds trust and rapport, showing that you are invested in alleviating their stress and anxiety.

Moreover, describe how your solution will remove their headaches, make their job easier, streamline operations, and save time. This allows you to resonate with readers, showcasing your ability to solve their problems effectively. 

Empathizing with the client’s pain points and framing your proposal around their needs means you create a compelling narrative that positions you as a reliable and understanding partner. This approach not only enhances your proposal’s clarity but also increases its persuasive power. 

“ So many proposals tell but don’t show. Don’t just tell the client you understand the importance of value engineering and leave them to fill in the gaps. Show them that your value engineering process is designed to make recommendations to work within their budget without sacrificing design intent. ” — Rachelle Ray, Proposal Management Consultant, RMR Consulting .

Leverage Past Proposals 

“Don’t reinvent the wheel” is a valuable principle when writing proposals. While each proposal should be tailored to the specific project, reusing universally applicable text, such as a company bio or examples of past work, is both efficient and effective. 

This approach not only saves time but also ensures a consistent tone across your proposals. Consistency helps clients become familiar with your organization and demonstrates reliability, which is particularly important when responding to multiple RFPs . 

Creating a template as a starting point for all responses can be immensely helpful. One of the foundational principles of a well-structured proposal is to adhere to a consistent template. 

Maintaining a repository of winning proposals is another smart strategy. By keeping track of successful proposals, you can draw inspiration and replicate elements that have proven effective. This repository serves as a valuable resource, enabling you to quickly reference and adapt strong content for new proposals. 

Leveraging past proposals and maintaining a template and repository of successful submissions not only streamlines the proposal-writing process but also enhances the quality and consistency of your responses. This strategy allows you to focus more on customization and high-impact areas, ultimately increasing your chances of winning new business. 

“If you’re building a new template or looking to revamp your old one, inventory your “best of the best” proposals. Take the most effective, impactful elements of those proposals and use them to start building your new template. This not only streamlines the proposal writing process but also ensures a unified tone throughout the document, conveying a professional image and building trust with potential clients or stakeholders.  The template should include all the necessary formatting and standard sections, allowing you to focus on the more important and higher-level aspects of each proposal.  While developing this template may take some initial effort and coordination across your team, it is well worth the investment.” — Rachelle Ray, Proposal Management Consultant, RMR Consulting .

Use Software to Increase Efficiency 

Implementing a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system tailored to your industry can significantly enhance your RFP win rate . In fact, teams that use software for their RFP processes have an average 45% proposal win rate .

DAM software helps organize, store , find , use , and share digital assets such as images, documents, templates, and other content, making it easier to maintain consistency and streamline the creation of proposals. 

However, if you have access to a DAM solution specific to your industry , it will offer industry-specific integrations and important features , making processes more streamlined and effective. According to OpenAsset’s AEC Industry Outlook Survey, nearly 74% of survey respondents said they plan to implement new technologies to help overcome key challenges faced in the industry.

Using DAM allows your team to quickly access and reuse approved content, ensure brand consistency , and collaborate more effectively. This leads to increased efficiency, reduced time spent searching for assets, and a more cohesive, professional proposal. 

Use Data Visualization and Other Visual Aids 

Incorporating data visualization, such as graphics, and visual aids in your proposals can significantly enhance their clarity and impact. To maximize the effectiveness of your graphics:

• Use Clear Titles and Captions: Each graphic should have a strong title and an action caption that summarizes the key takeaway, including major features and resulting customer benefits—quantified if possible.
• Ensure Relevance and Accuracy: Visual aids should be directly related to your content, accurate, and easy to understand. Properly label, caption, and reference each visual aid.
• Variety of Visuals: Use a mix of diagrams, charts, photos, and illustrations to highlight key points and showcase your firm’s expertise. This variety leads to a more engaging and easier-to-understand proposal.
• Differentiate Your Proposal: Visuals can help differentiate your proposal from the competition by illustrating your unique capabilities and making your document stand out.
• Simplicity and Quality: Keep graphics simple, high-quality, and visually appealing. Avoid clutter and overly complex visuals that might confuse the reader.
• Enhance Readability: Incorporate graphics, callouts, tables, bullet points, and headings to make your proposal easy to scan. Use short words, sentences, and paragraphs where possible. 

When used correctly, proposal graphics and visuals are compelling, easy to understand, and help communicate your message more effectively than words alone. They enable evaluators to quickly grasp data, understand processes, and identify patterns or opportunities. 

“Graphics are visual aids to help communicate important information. Avoid adding an infographic or a “pretty” picture for the sake of how it looks on the page. Instead, assess your text and identify content that could be better conveyed or emphasized using visual elements.” — Rachelle Ray, Proposal Management Consultant, RMR Consulting .

Improving Your Proposal Writing Process 

Improve your proposal writing process even further with the following tips: 

Use the RFP to Create a Checklist 

Professional RFP writers should use a reliable RFP checklist template to help guarantee coherent proposals. From introduction to conclusion, a systematically organized flow of information makes it easier for readers to follow and understand your message. 

Structuring your proposal to follow the RFP’s flow makes it easier for reviewers to evaluate whether you’ve met the requested criteria and shows your commitment to quality. 

Moreover, consistency in formatting, style, and content presentation can set you apart from competitors, demonstrating attention to detail and professionalism. 

However, every RFP is different, and so should every proposal. A one-size-fits-all approach can disqualify you from consideration, signaling to reviewers that you didn’t take the time to understand their specific needs. 

Use the RFP to identify key questions and priorities, creating a tailored checklist for writing, reviewing, and editing your proposal. Study the RFP and create a comprehensive list of all requirements, forms, and documents needed for your submission. 

Imagine you’ve worked tirelessly on a proposal for a major project your company has been eyeing for months. After submitting it with confidence, you receive a rejection email because a crucial document was missing. This is where a checklist becomes invaluable. By starting the proposal process with a checklist, you ensure that nothing important is overlooked. 

A checklist not only helps you avoid submitting an incomplete proposal but also keeps you organized and on track throughout the development process. Checking off each item as you go provides peace of mind that you’re not missing anything critical. 

Collaborate Effectively with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) 

Writing proposals is rarely a one-person task. It often involves contributions from many subject matter experts (SMEs), which can sometimes result in a disjointed final product.

Imagine working on a proposal for a major construction project with a tight deadline. Your team of SMEs, busy with other responsibilities, contributes sections without specific guidance. This lack of direction results in a proposal that lacks flow and coherence, with some information being contradictory or incomplete. 

As a result, your proposal is rejected. To avoid this, provide SMEs with clear guidelines: 

• Clear Instructions: Identify key sections of the RFP relevant to each SME’s expertise and provide clear instructions on how their contributions should fit within the proposal. 
• Proposal Messaging: Ensure SMEs understand the key win themes so they can align their responses with the overarching message. 
• Brand Voice Guidelines: Define the appropriate tone for your proposal. Offer a clear description of how your brand voice should sound to maintain consistency. 
• Writing Style: Specify the style guide your organization follows and provide any in-house guidelines that may deviate from the standard. 
• Level of Detail: Set parameters for the depth and length of responses to avoid some sections being overly detailed while others are too superficial. 

Effective collaboration with SMEs not only makes the most of their limited time and expertise but also strengthens your proposal, increasing your chances of winning the contract. Taking the extra time to guide your SMEs will pay off by creating a more efficient and effective proposal development process.  

Set and Meet Deadlines 

RFPs often come with tight deadlines, and missing them means your submission won’t be reviewed. That’s why good time management is crucial for proposal writers. 

Here are some tips to help you write high-quality proposals under time pressure: 

• Remove Distractions: Turn off your phone, mute notifications, and sign out of email. Focus solely on writing until you hit your goal.
• Block Time for Writing: According to Parkinson’s Law , tasks expand to fill the time allotted. Set strict, reasonable goals like “Finish sections 1-5 before lunch” or “Complete first draft in X hours.”
• Focus on Hard Tasks: Tackle the hardest tasks first, often writing the first draft. Do this when you have the most energy, such as first thing in the morning.
• Choose Progress Over Perfection: Perfectionism can waste time. Focus on getting words on the page during the initial stages, and refine your writing closer to the deadline. 

Moreover, to avoid delays within your team, set firm deadlines and hold team members accountable. Make sure everyone understands the importance of these deadlines and the consequences of missing them. 

By setting and enforcing firm deadlines, you ensure the proposal is completed on time and to a high standard, increasing your chances of winning the project. Treat internal deadlines with the same importance as the final submission deadline to keep your proposal development process on track. 

Don’t Forget to Take a Writing Break 

While it’s important to meet deadlines, it’s just as important to protect your mental health and know when to walk away and take a break when necessary. 

Writing proposals can be intense, and it’s easy to miss errors when you’re too immersed in the work. Taking breaks is crucial. Stepping away for an hour, an afternoon, or even a day helps you return with fresh eyes, making it easier to spot mistakes and improve the quality of your work. 

This practice not only enhances your proposal but also prevents careless errors that could undermine your credibility. Regular breaks ensure you stay sharp and focused, and produce your best work.

Edit and Proofread Your Proposal

A proposal full of typos and grammatical errors can undermine your credibility. That’s why you should plan time for self-proofing and have another person review your document. 

Revising involves improving content, structure, and logic to ensure your document meets audience needs. Proofreading focuses on correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting. Both are essential for quality and readability.

Familiarity can make it difficult to spot mistakes. For this reason, having someone who isn’t involved in the proposal process review your work can help catch errors and provide fresh insights. 

However, make sure to choose a reviewer who understands the proposal process to ensure useful feedback. This second set of eyes can identify confusing, vague, or missing information, just as a reviewer would. 

Moreover, after reading your proposal, the reader should have a clear understanding of the RFP requirements, how your organization can meet those needs, and why you’re the best candidate. Therefore, feedback from a proofreader can help fill gaps and strengthen your proposal. 

Tips to Improve Your Proposal Writing With AI

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) in proposal writing is crucial for boosting efficiency, accuracy, and quality. AI tools can analyze large volumes of data, identify trends, and generate compelling content tailored to your audience. 

Embracing AI technologies allows you to save time, reduce errors, and increase your chances of success in competitive proposal environments. Here’s how: 

Dictate Your Proposal

AI tools are revolutionizing the way we write proposals, offering innovative solutions to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. One such tool is AI-driven voice recognition, which allows you to dictate content and speed up the writing process. 

AI voice recognition tools enable you to dictate your thoughts directly into text, significantly speeding up the writing process. This method is especially useful for quickly capturing ideas without the need for typing, allowing you to focus more on the content and less on the mechanics of writing. 

Additionally, dictating your proposal can help maintain a natural, conversational tone, making your writing more engaging and easier to read. It allows you to convey your ideas as you would in a discussion, which can be particularly effective in proposals where clarity and persuasiveness are key. 

What AI tools offer voice recognition? Popular AI-driven voice recognition tools like Dragon NaturallySpeaking , Google Docs Voice Typing , and Otter.ai can transform your spoken words into written text quickly and accurately. These tools help to dictate content and speed up your proposal writing process. 

Use AI to Conduct a Sentiment Analysis 

Another way AI tools can help the proposal writing process is through sentiment analysis. This means that with the right AI tools, such as Brand24 , MonkeyLearn , and Sprout Social , you can significantly enhance the quality of your proposal by analyzing tone and sentiment. 

Such AI tools can analyze the sentiment of your writing, ensuring that your proposal conveys the desired emotions and tone. This helps in making your proposal more persuasive and appealing to the readers.  

Many AI tools allow customization to tailor the output to your needs. Define your preferred settings, such as tone of voice, writing style, and formatting standards, to ensure the AI-generated content aligns with your brand and goals. 

Based on your preferences, AI writing assistants can suggest improvements in sentence structure, tone, and style, to help ensure that your writing is engaging, professional, and aligned with your intended message. 

Moreover, AI sentiment analysis can identify and correct negative or unintended tones, helping to maintain a positive and persuasive proposal. This technology can also highlight areas where the tone may be inconsistent or not aligned with your objectives. 

Check Your Grammar and Style 

AI tools are invaluable for minimizing errors in proposal writing. They aid in meticulous proofreading and editing, ensuring your proposal is accurate and polished.

For example, free AI-powered tools like Grammarly and Hemingway quickly identify grammar and spelling mistakes, and other errors while matching brand guidelines , reducing the risk of submitting a flawed proposal.

Moreover, AI writing assistants enhance the overall quality of your proposal by providing real-time suggestions, grammar corrections, and help with sentence structure. These AI checks improve the readability, coherence, and professionalism of your proposals. 

Conduct Data Analysis for Your Proposal

AI can analyze vast amounts of data to identify trends, patterns, and insights, making your proposals more compelling and data-driven.

Data analysis tools search through large datasets to highlight relevant trends, ensuring your proposal is current and impactful. For example, AI can reveal market shifts that support your proposal’s strategy. 

Using AI-driven insights ensures your proposals are grounded in solid data, enhancing their credibility and persuasiveness. AI can also provide detailed analysis of client needs or past project performances to improve your argument. 

Moreover, artificial intelligence uncovers critical insights by recognizing patterns that might be missed manually. This helps in identifying potential opportunities or risks relevant to the proposal. 

Create Visuals and Images 

Incorporating visuals and images into your proposals significantly enhances their visual appeal, capturing the attention of the reader and making your proposals more memorable. AI tools can help create engaging infographics, graphs, and other visual aids to present your data effectively. 

AI can analyze and enhance the visual elements of your proposals, such as layout, graphics, and formatting, ensuring they are both appealing and professional. Tools like Picsart , Midjourney , and DALL·E can assist in generating high-quality visuals quickly. 

AI tools can produce infographics and graphs that clearly convey complex information. While AI-generated visuals are highly effective, note that these tools currently have limitations, such as difficulty in accurately incorporating text into images. 

Score Your Proposal  

Request for proposal (RFP) scoring, also known as proposal scoring, involves assigning numerical values to each RFP response . This method supports the proposal evaluation process by offering a data-based approach to ensure fair and unbiased vendor selection. 

While AI can help clients evaluate proposals using AI-powered scoring and feedback, it can also help the writer evaluate the quality of proposals before submission. 

AI can emphasize the criteria used for proposal evaluation, including technical expertise, cost, schedule, and past performance. By understanding these factors, you can tailor your proposal to meet the specific requirements and expectations of evaluators, increasing the likelihood of success. 

Optimize Your Proposal Design and Format 

Find out how to make your next proposal look as good as it sounds with these top 5 InDesign techniques your proposal needs now from proposal design expert, Julie Shaffer, CPSM, Founder of Shaffer Creative :

If you use InDesign for your proposal creation process, you can streamline document design and creation by implementing DAM software that integrates directly with InDesign . For example, OpenAsset , which integrates with InDesign, allows for seamless workflows between InDesign and OpenAsset to help you create better documents and proposals quicker than ever.

Specifically, the drag-and-drop functionality makes it easy to add images to InDesign documents. That means no broken links! The plugin also automatically saves and preserves all image links—so you can build documents with images stored in the cloud .

Moreover, this integration allows makes it easy to push images and project information from OpenAsset into InDesign documents using custom templates and store InDesign documents in OpenAsset for improved collaboration.

With InDesign and OpenAsset, anyone in your firm can create professionally designed marketing materials in just a few clicks, and strengthen your brand with custom InDesign brand templates.

Win More Business With OpenAsset 

We hope the proposal tips mentioned in this article will make your proposal writing process more efficient and effective while helping you land more clients. 

If you’re a professional in the Architecture , Engineering , and Construction (AEC) industry, responding to RFPs is part of your daily tasks. Therefore, you need a tool that can deliver, such as a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system . Specifically, you need a DAM tool tailored to the AEC industry, like OpenAsset . 

With OpenAsset it’s simple: Centralize AEC assets. Create more proposals. Win more business. OpenAsset’s Digital Asset Management platform makes AEC proposals simpler, faster, and more successful. That’s why 99% of our customers renew. 

How does OpenAsset do this? OpenAsset helps streamline the proposal creation process by organizing and managing digital assets such as images, project documents, and templates. This ensures easy access to high-quality visuals and relevant content, reducing the time spent searching for materials. 

With OpenAsset, AEC firms can maintain consistency, enhance the visual appeal of their proposals, and present a professional, cohesive narrative that resonates with clients, ultimately increasing their chances of securing new projects. Ready to win more business? 

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How to Create Winning Proposals

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