How to write a research proposal, with an example and a template
Short answer
A research proposal has to prove two things: that your question is worth answering and that you can answer it in the time you have. Every section, from the literature to the timeline, is evidence for one of those two claims.
What a proposal has to prove
Your supervisor reads a proposal with two doubts in mind. Is this question worth a project? And can this student, with these skills, finish it by the deadline? A proposal that answers both is approved, even if the writing is plain. One that answers neither is sent back, however well it reads.
The question is worth answering.
Shown by the background, the literature and the gap.
You can answer it in the time you have.
Shown by the method, the ethics and the timeline.
The sections, in order
Write them in this order, even if you draft them out of it. Each one answers a single doubt.
| No. | Section | The doubt it answers | What it must contain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Title and research question | Is it narrow enough to answer? | One question naming who, where and over what period |
| 2 | Background and rationale | Why should anyone care? | The problem, why it matters now, and the 'so what' |
| 3 | Literature and gap | Has someone already done this? | The main debates by theme, ending on what they have not answered |
| 4 | Aims and objectives | What exactly will be finished at the end? | One aim and a few objectives you could tick off |
| 5 | Methodology | Will this method actually answer the question? | What you will do, with whom, and why it fits the question |
| 6 | Ethics and limitations | Is it safe, legal and honest about its limits? | Consent, data handling, and what the design cannot tell you |
| 7 | Timeline | Can it be done in the time you have? | Each stage against your deadline, with time for approval |
| 8 | References | Did you read what you say you read? | Every source cited, in your department's style |
The University of Southern California Libraries put the same idea as three questions every proposal must answer: what you plan to accomplish, why the research is worth doing, and how you will carry it out. Its guide also makes a useful point about scope. A proposal contains every part of a finished study except two: the findings and your analysis of them. If a reader could not picture the finished project from your proposal, something is missing.
The same guide lists the mistakes it sees most often: proposals that wander instead of staying focused, that skip the foundational work in the field, that never say where the study stops (which people, which place, which period), and that spend more space on minor issues than on the main question.
A worked example
Here is the opening of a first year proposal as it came back from a tutor. The notes in the margin are the ones that usually decide whether a proposal is approved.
This project will look at the effects of social media on students how checking a phone between lectures changes note taking among first year undergraduates. Many studies have looked at attention in lectures, but few have followed the same students across a whole term. I will use a weekly diary kept by a small group of volunteers, because a diary records what happens between lectures, which a single survey cannot.
Revised question: How does checking a phone between lectures change first year note taking over one term?
Template
Copy this into your own document and replace every bracket with your own words. Delete any heading your department does not ask for.
Title: [Write it as a question, not a topic] 1. Research question [One question. Who, where and over what period?] 2. Background and rationale [Why this matters now, in two or three short paragraphs.] 3. Literature and gap [The debates your question belongs to. What none of them has yet answered.] 4. Aims and objectives [One aim. Objectives you could tick off when they are done.] 5. Methodology [What you will do, with whom, and why this method answers the question.] 6. Ethics and limitations [Consent and data handling. What this design cannot tell you.] 7. Timeline [One line per stage, set against your deadline.] 8. References [In your department's referencing style.]
Common reasons proposals are sent back
Read your draft against each line. Tick it once you are sure it does not apply.
0 of 6 ruled out
Using AI on a proposal
A chat tool can help you widen your reading, find search terms and test whether a question is too broad. It should not choose your question or write your rationale, because those are the parts being marked: they show your judgement. Many courses also ask you to declare any use. Read using AI on a research proposal for what is usually allowed at each stage.
A proposal is also the first draft of a bigger project. Its literature section grows into the review chapter, so read how to write a literature review before you start it, and keep an annotated bibliography as you read so every source you cite is one you have checked. Once it is approved, how to write a dissertation takes you chapter by chapter. Other paper types are in the guides.
FAQ
How long should a research proposal be?
It depends on the course, so check the word limit in your brief. Departments set very different lengths for undergraduate, masters and funding proposals.
Can I change my research question after the proposal is approved?
Usually, within reason. Tell your supervisor early and explain what you learned that made the change necessary.
Does a proposal need a literature review?
Yes, but a short one. It only has to show the debate your question belongs to and the gap it fills.
This guide explains common rules; your institution's policy decides what is allowed on your work.
Sources
- Writing a Research ProposalUSC Libraries, University of Southern California
- Dissertations 2: Structure: StandardUniversity of Westminster Library
