RESEARCH OR THESIS PROPOSAL

What does a proposal do? A proposal presents a strategy for solving a problem. A
successful proposal needs two elements: a statement of a problem and a proposed
solution to that problem.
For a proposal to succeed, you need a good idea. No amount of crafted writing can make
up for a weak or insignificant idea. So be sure that every part of your proposal can answer
yes for the following question:
Is the problem significant/interesting enough so it is worthwhile to investigate it?
And again remember that a proposal is a plan for solving a problem, so every part of your
proposal should aim to your final goal of:
How can I solve this problem?
I. Proposal format:
The proposal must be typed (12 point font double spaced text) with 1-inch margins and
page numbers.
Every sentence that refers to previous publication should include references, which can
be a journal article or book chapter (NOT web sources). The style of the references
should follow APA style for references in text and literature cited.
http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html

Proposals should contain the following information:
A cover page. Include project title, your name, the purpose of the project
(masters research project), Advisors name and contact information
A summary of the research proposed (Abstract)
The context of the research and why the subject of the proposed research is
important (Introduction)
A concise statement of the research question you propose to answer (Research
aims)
A concise statement of the specific types of data or datasets you propose to gather
and the experimental approach(es) you intend to use in order to answer the
research question (Research objectives)
How the researcher intends to accomplish these tasks (Research Design and
Experimental Approaches)
What are the expected results and what are the alternative approaches that will be
used if the original ones do not give sufficient answers for the proposed research
aims (Expected results and Pitfalls)
Where will the research be performed? (Site Description)
How long the proposed research will take (Timeline)
Final statement with the impact of this project on future research (Significance)
Appendix (optional)


II. The goals of a research proposal
Any research proposal must, at a minimum, explain what the researcher intends to do,
how these tasks will be accomplished, and why the expected results of the research are
important.
Cover Page. Include project title, your name, the purpose of the project (masters research
project), PIs name and address.
Project Abstract. This is a summary of the proposal, between 150 and 250 words, that is
best written after finishing the other sections. It should briefly, but clearly, state the
problem, the context of the problem, the significance of the problem, the broad methods
to be used, the form of the results, and where these results might lead in future.
Introduction. The beginning of this section is a focused literature review (not a general
summary) centered on what we know about your specific research questions. It should
give the readers an understanding of previous work so they know the context of the work
you are proposing. It also states the problem of the field that needs to be investigated with
an explanation for why it hasnt been addressed by others. It should end with a paragraph
telling the reader what the research plan is and a statement of why this issue is important
and what can we learn from your study.
Aims /Objectives/: Concise description of the research questions and objectives of your
project described in a few sentences.
Research Design and Experimental Approaches. This section is the body of the research
proposal: a full, detailed description of the proposed research project that describes every
aspect of the research effort. The bulk of the section describes the outline of the
experimental design and techniques. You might divide it into sections based on each type
of experiment you will be doing. Include: How many and what types of subjects/test
animals, how many replicates in each experiment will be used, how many times will you
repeat the procedures, what equipment will be used to do the work, etc..., outline all
methods, assays or tests you will run, methods of collecting data (you record the data?,
subjects record the data?, weekly, daily, 3 times per week??, etc...), and what statistical
methods will be used. The language should be specific, definite and concrete.
Expected Result/Pitfalls: In a short paragraph summarize the results you expect from the
project and provide alternatives if the experiments do not work.
Description of the site where research will be performed. If the research is not performed
at the University a full description of the research site/laboratory should be included.
Timeline: A statement about the time needed for the research and the preparation of the
manuscript.
Significance: It should answer the following questions: What is the significance of the
research? How does it connect to other research? What new research does it make
possible. Can it be applied to other disciplines?
Literature Cited: A list of the references (the literature) that you used in the above
sections.
Appendices. Optional section(s) that might include data sheets you will use,
questionnaires, surveys you will hand out, etc.

III. Approval of your proposal/ Registration

Proposals (as with most pieces of written work) usually need to go through several drafts.
Show your internal or external advisors a draft early enough so that you can incorporate
their feedback into a revised draft before submission. When you have the final approval
of your proposal (the research project sheet is signed by all the advisors and the
chairman) you can register for the course.