social work research proposal examples

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

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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/ 101 Class Group Name Ideas (for School Students)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 19 Top Cognitive Psychology Theories (Explained)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 119 Bloom’s Taxonomy Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ All 6 Levels of Understanding (on Bloom’s Taxonomy)

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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Social Work Research Topics & Tips on Finding and Distinguishing Good Ones

Updated 12 Jun 2024

Social work research is the systematic investigation of problems pertaining to the social work field. Alternatively, it can be defined as the application of research methods for addressing/solving problems confronted by social workers in their practice.

Major research areas include studying concepts, theories, principles, underlying methods, employees’ skills and their interaction with individuals and groups as well as internal processes, functioning principles within social entities. For a more specific selection of social work research topics, go to the appropriate section within this article.

Social work is ultimately focused on practical application, hence, the ultimate goal of social work research is understanding the efficacy of various intervention methods aimed at alleviating the conditions of people suffering from social deprivation – this highlights the importance presented by both the field and its associated research. For such difficult topics, you may ask yourself "can I pay someone to write my research paper " - and our professional team is here to help you.

Signs of Good Research Topics

Of all social work research questions, how could one distinguish the ones holding the greatest value or potential? Considering these signs could increase the chances of picking higher quality or more productive social work topics:

• Chosen topics are backed up by one or more published studies by research teams from the US or from abroad with solid article-related citation metrics, typically published in prestigious peer-reviewed academic journals (journals with high impact factor).
• Social work research topics in question are related to practice – theoretical research is very important, but nothing beats practical knowledge and efficient practical intervention methods and strategies. However, this aspect might depend on other circumstances as well (for students, for instance, theoretical topics are fairly acceptable). To ensure a successful research proposal in the field of social work, consider utilizing research proposal writing services .
• Social work research topics are breaking certain stereotypes. People are inclined towards topics that break preconceived notions – such topics naturally receive greater attention. If they bring solid evidence and reasonable arguments while providing/promising real benefits, such topics can simply revolutionize the field.
• Chosen social work research topics match current trends. Don’t understand us wrong – not everything that is trendy deserves attention (many things are overhyped). However, trends do have a sound reason for emerging (there is normally value behind the forces driving them). Moreover, delving into a field/topic that has only been recently established often gives significant advantages (career-wise). So watch out for trends in your research field closely, but always scrutinize them for what they are worth.

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Where Can You Find Perfect Topics?

When exploring education research topics or searching for social worker research topics, it might prove useful to follow a few proven strategies (which are equally valid for many other occasions):

• Skim through your study literature (e.g. handbooks, course notes) – this is material you already studied, but going through it might help you to systematically visualize all studied topics or subtopics (these can suggest new ideas).
• Brainstorming. Access your knowledge base – chances are you have a few interesting topics stored in mind that you’d like to explore in greater detail.
• Browse through published article titles in social work journals or, even better, study newsletters/highlights on journal websites. Alternatively, one could search on platforms aggregating field-related news from multiple journals.– while some articles/topics might be overly complicated or specific, these still offer an immense choice.
• Browse online for ready research topics for a custom research paper from our  research paper writing service  – skimming through such lists would bombard you with topics of appropriate complexity and scope /broadness or would inspire new related ideas (e.g. by combining elements from different topics).

Yet another way to pick a good topic is to get research paper writing help from our professional writers – they would manage all aspects, including that of choosing an original and solid topic (obviously, you might be willing to confirm it, before proceeding with your writing project).

Need more writing assistance?

Connect with our top writers and receive a paper sample on social work crafted to your needs.

100 Social Work Research Topics

Below is a comprehensive social work research topics list to help get you started with your project.

50 Controversial Research Topics

• Group therapy vs individual therapy for increasing autistic children adaptability
• Impact on parents having children with autism spectrum disorder.
• Role play vs group discussion efficiency in increasing knowledge regarding drug abuse among high-school students.
• Addressing the stigma associated with depression.
• Measures to counteract condemning stereotypes with regard to depression (explaining and highlighting the biological mechanisms underlying it)
• Identifying individuals with suicide predisposition serving in military units.
• Life events role in PTSD onset in veterans.
• Strategies to prevent PTSD onset in US army veterans.
• Social inclusion measures for war veterans.
• Most efficient strategies for suicide prevention in academic setting.
• Categories are most vulnerable to drug abuse.
• Most efficient educational measures to prevent future drug abuse in children
• Myths about substance abuse among adolescents.
• Family support importance for alcohol addicts rehabilitation.
• Workaholics – new type of addicts. Impact on personal and family lives.
• Mental retardation in Alzheimer’s disease – how to cope with it as a family member?
• Promoting integration for children with Down syndrome.
• General considerations for working with children with developmental disabilities.
• Educating society with regard to dyslexic children (all target groups could be considered: parents, classmates, teachers, etc.)
• Dyslexia cases combined with ADHD – how to approach it?
• Dismounting common myths about dyslexia.
• Counteracting bullying aimed at dyslexic children.
• Early intervention benefits to address language difficulties in case of dyslexic children.
• What role should educators, parents, schools, mental health centers, private practice have in addressing dyslexia?
• Key prerequisites for building resilience to adverse life events in children
• Strategies for building resilience in welfare workers.
• Who is responsible for developing resilience in social workers?
• Self-help guidelines for social workers to become resilient.
• Most common problems encountered by LGBT youth in US schools.
• Arming LGBT individuals with coping strategies to face discrimination.
• The situation with juvenile delinquents across various US states.
• Rationale behind separating juvenile delinquents from adult delinquents.
• Factors contributing to high youth incarceration rate in certain US states (Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota).
• Most efficient reeducation strategies for juvenile delinquents.
• Society inclusion measures for people that served in prison.
• Coping with the stigma of having served in prison.
• Attitudes of welfare workers towards incarcerated individuals.
• Attitudes of correctional officers towards mental health of incarcerated individuals.
• Gender differences relevance when working with incarcerated people.
• Factors increasing the risk of recidivism in released prisoners.
• Incarceration impacts on parent-child relationships.
• Incarceration effects on mental health.
• Social inclusion role and family support in preventing recidivism by former prisoners.
• Circumstances associated with the highest risk of becoming a human trafficking victim.
• Ethical rules important when working with human trafficking victims.
• Trauma characteristic depiction for human trafficking victims.
• What is considered neglecting a child in child welfare?
• Prerequisites of a safe childhood and a functional family.
• Dealing with child abuse in orphanages.
• Types of child maltreatment/abuse.

Essay Examples Relevant to Social Work Controversial Topics

• Social Work
• Child Abuse
• Discrimination

50 Hot Research Topics for Social Work Students

• Difference in approaching children vs adolescents suffering from domestic violence.
• Success stories in preventing child abuse in certain regions/states.
• Strategies to encourage women to report domestic violence cases.
• Damage to families with ongoing domestic violence.
• Healing steps for victims of domestic violence.
• Effects of child neglect on later academic performance and career.
• Removing a child from a setting – when is it justified?
• Guidelines on providing testimony in court as a social worker
• Peculiarities of social work in health care assistance.
• Grief counseling for families that lost a loved one.
• Understanding the symptoms of grief.
• Risk factors for dangerous grief.
• Conduct/communication rules with persons in grief.
• Types of elder abuse. Which are the most common ones?
• Predictors of elder abuse (related to relationships within families, financial, status).
• The integrative concept of human services.
• The utility of mentoring programs in social care.
• Work with elders experiencing cognitive impairment.
• Peculiarities of working with immigrants in social care.
• Considerations for working with HIV positive people.
• Social research topics about homeless people.
• Primary factors contributing to homelessness.
• Challenges faced by social care assistants in working with sexually exploited clients belonging to the opposite gender.
• Meeting unique needs of sexually exploited children.
• Compassion fatigue experienced by welfare worker.
• Challenges experienced by single parents and support strategies
• Problem of getting medical help when belonging to vulnerable categories
• Is there place for spirituality in welfare worker?
• Religious beliefs obstructing welfare worker.
• Support strategies for low-income families having children with impaired development.
• Retrospective views and youth opinions on foster care facilities they have gone through.
• Key wishes/demands expressed by foster care facility residents
• Strategies employed by welfare worker to avoid burnout.
• Importance of building emotional intelligence as welfare worker.
• Discussing sexual health with mentally ill or retarded clients.
• Spirituality and faith as an essential element in many addiction rehabilitation programs.
• Attitude towards older people among welfare workers.
• Factors responsible for reluctance to benefit from mental health services among certain population groups.
• Differences in working with adolescent and adult drug abusers.
• Factors affecting foster youth that impact their higher education retention rate.
• Language barrier as an obstructing factor for minorities in benefiting from mental health services.
• Cultural competence as social work research topic
• Pre and post birth assistance to surrogate mothers. Evaluating impact on mental health.
• Challenges and issues arising in families with adoptive children.
• Play therapy interventions effectiveness in school-based counseling.
• Mental health in hemodialysis patients and corresponding support strategies.
• Importance presented by recreational activities for patients with Alzheimer’s.
• Intimacy impact on the outcome of group therapy practices for alcohol addiction.
• Mental health care outcomes in pedophilia victims.
• Alternative practices in social work.

Essay Examples Relevant to Hot Research Topics for Social Work

• Domestic Violence
• Elder Abuse
• Homelessness

Read also: Get excellent grades with the help of online research paper maker. 

Found Topic But No Time For Writing?

We truly hope that by providing this list of social work topics for research papers we’ve addressed an important challenge many students encounter. Nevertheless, choosing suitable social work research topics is not the only challenge when having to write a paper.

Fortunately, Edubirdie website has a number of other tools like a thesis statement generator, a citation tool, a plagiarism checker, etc. to help with related aspects of writing a research paper. Besides, you can directly hire our professional paper writers to assist you with writing the paper according to instructions, creating a detailed outline, an annotated bibliography, but also with editing, proofreading, creating slides for presentation, etc.

Clients can choose their preferred writers freely by evaluating their ranking and performance on the platform. Later, they can communicate with these writers as their projects progress, being able to request intermediary results and providing feedback, additional guiding. If results are not satisfying and don’t match provided instructions, you can request unlimited revisions – all for free. In the unlikely situation in which revision attempts fail, you are guaranteed to get your money back. Given these low risks and guaranteed outcome, you should definitely give it a try!

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Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: Writing a Research Proposal

• Purpose of Guide
• Writing a Research Proposal
• Design Flaws to Avoid
• Independent and Dependent Variables
• Narrowing a Topic Idea
• Broadening a Topic Idea
• The Research Problem/Question
• Academic Writing Style
• Choosing a Title
• Making an Outline
• Paragraph Development
• The C.A.R.S. Model
• Background Information
• Theoretical Framework
• Citation Tracking
• Evaluating Sources
• Reading Research Effectively
• Primary Sources
• Secondary Sources
• What Is Scholarly vs. Popular?
• Is it Peer-Reviewed?
• Qualitative Methods
• Quantitative Methods
• Common Grammar Mistakes
• Writing Concisely
• Avoiding Plagiarism [linked guide]
• Annotated Bibliography
• Grading Someone Else's Paper

The goal of a research proposal is to present and justify the need to study a research problem and to present the practical ways in which the proposed study should be conducted. The design elements and procedures for conducting the research are governed by standards within the predominant discipline in which the problem resides, so guidelines for research proposals are more exacting and less formal than a general project proposal. Research proposals contain extensive literature reviews. They must provide persuasive evidence that a need exists for the proposed study. In addition to providing a rationale, a proposal describes detailed methodology for conducting the research consistent with requirements of the professional or academic field and a statement on anticipated outcomes and/or benefits derived from the study's completion.

Krathwohl, David R. How to Prepare a Dissertation Proposal: Suggestions for Students in Education and the Social and Behavioral Sciences . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2005.

How to Approach Writing a Research Proposal

Your professor may assign the task of writing a research proposal for the following reasons:

• Develop your skills in thinking about and designing a comprehensive research study;
• Learn how to conduct a comprehensive review of the literature to ensure a research problem has not already been answered [or you may determine the problem has been answered ineffectively] and, in so doing, become better at locating scholarship related to your topic;
• Improve your general research and writing skills;
• Practice identifying the logical steps that must be taken to accomplish one's research goals;
• Critically review, examine, and consider the use of different methods for gathering and analyzing data related to the research problem; and,
• Nurture a sense of inquisitiveness within yourself and to help see yourself as an active participant in the process of doing scholarly research.

A proposal should contain all the key elements involved in designing a completed research study, with sufficient information that allows readers to assess the validity and usefulness of your proposed study. The only elements missing from a research proposal are the findings of the study and your analysis of those results. Finally, an effective proposal is judged on the quality of your writing and, therefore, it is important that your writing is coherent, clear, and compelling.

Regardless of the research problem you are investigating and the methodology you choose, all research proposals must address the following questions:

• What do you plan to accomplish? Be clear and succinct in defining the research problem and what it is you are proposing to research.
• Why do you want to do it? In addition to detailing your research design, you also must conduct a thorough review of the literature and provide convincing evidence that it is a topic worthy of study. Be sure to answer the "So What?" question.
• How are you going to do it? Be sure that what you propose is doable. If you're having trouble formulating a research problem to propose investigating, go here .

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Failure to be concise; being "all over the map" without a clear sense of purpose.
• Failure to cite landmark works in your literature review.
• Failure to delimit the contextual boundaries of your research [e.g., time, place, people, etc.].
• Failure to develop a coherent and persuasive argument for the proposed research.
• Failure to stay focused on the research problem; going off on unrelated tangents.
• Sloppy or imprecise writing, or poor grammar.
• Too much detail on minor issues, but not enough detail on major issues.

Procter, Margaret. The Academic Proposal .  The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Sanford, Keith. Information for Students: Writing a Research Proposal . Baylor University; Wong, Paul T. P. How to Write a Research Proposal . International Network on Personal Meaning. Trinity Western University; Writing Academic Proposals: Conferences, Articles, and Books . The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing a Research Proposal . University Library. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Structure and Writing Style

Beginning the Proposal Process

As with writing a regular academic paper, research proposals are generally organized the same way throughout most social science disciplines. Proposals vary between ten and twenty-five pages in length. However, before you begin, read the assignment carefully and, if anything seems unclear, ask your professor whether there are any specific requirements for organizing and writing the proposal.

A good place to begin is to ask yourself a series of questions:

• What do I want to study?
• Why is the topic important?
• How is it significant within the subject areas covered in my class?
• What problems will it help solve?
• How does it build upon [and hopefully go beyond] research already conducted on the topic?
• What exactly should I plan to do, and can I get it done in the time available?

In general, a compelling research proposal should document your knowledge of the topic and demonstrate your enthusiasm for conducting the study. Approach it with the intention of leaving your readers feeling like--"Wow, that's an exciting idea and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!"

In general your proposal should include the following sections:

I.  Introduction

In the real world of higher education, a research proposal is most often written by scholars seeking grant funding for a research project or it's the first step in getting approval to write a doctoral dissertation. Even if this is just a course assignment, treat your introduction as the initial pitch of an idea or a thorough examination of the significance of a research problem. After reading the introduction, your readers should not only have an understanding of what you want to do, but they should also be able to gain a sense of your passion for the topic and be excited about the study's possible outcomes. Note that most proposals do not include an abstract [summary] before the introduction.

Think about your introduction as a narrative written in one to three paragraphs that succinctly answers the following four questions :

• What is the central research problem?
• What is the topic of study related to that problem?
• What methods should be used to analyze the research problem?
• Why is this important research, what is its significance, and why should someone reading the proposal care about the outcomes of the proposed study?

II.  Background and Significance

This section can be melded into your introduction or you can create a separate section to help with the organization and narrative flow of your proposal. This is where you explain the context of your proposal and describe in detail why it's important. Approach writing this section with the thought that you can’t assume your readers will know as much about the research problem as you do. Note that this section is not an essay going over everything you have learned about the topic; instead, you must choose what is relevant to help explain the goals for your study.

To that end, while there are no hard and fast rules, you should attempt to address some or all of the following key points:

• State the research problem and give a more detailed explanation about the purpose of the study than what you stated in the introduction. This is particularly important if the problem is complex or multifaceted .
• Present the rationale of your proposed study and clearly indicate why it is worth doing. Answer the "So What? question [i.e., why should anyone care].
• Describe the major issues or problems to be addressed by your research. Be sure to note how your proposed study builds on previous assumptions about the research problem.
• Explain how you plan to go about conducting your research. Clearly identify the key sources you intend to use and explain how they will contribute to your analysis of the topic.
• Set the boundaries of your proposed research in order to provide a clear focus. Where appropriate, state not only what you will study, but what is excluded from the study.
• If necessary, provide definitions of key concepts or terms.

III.  Literature Review

Connected to the background and significance of your study is a section of your proposal devoted to a more deliberate review and synthesis of prior studies related to the research problem under investigation . The purpose here is to place your project within the larger whole of what is currently being explored, while demonstrating to your readers that your work is original and innovative. Think about what questions other researchers have asked, what methods they have used, and what is your understanding of their findings and, where stated, their recommendations. Do not be afraid to challenge the conclusions of prior research. Assess what you believe is missing and state how previous research has failed to adequately examine the issue that your study addresses. For more information on writing literature reviews, GO HERE .

Since a literature review is information dense, it is crucial that this section is intelligently structured to enable a reader to grasp the key arguments underpinning your study in relation to that of other researchers. A good strategy is to break the literature into "conceptual categories" [themes] rather than systematically describing groups of materials one at a time. Note that conceptual categories generally reveal themselves after you have read most of the pertinent literature on your topic so adding new categories is an on-going process of discovery as you read more studies. How do you know you've covered the key conceptual categories underlying the research literature? Generally, you can have confidence that all of the significant conceptual categories have been identified if you start to see repetition in the conclusions or recommendations that are being made.

To help frame your proposal's literature review, here are the "five C’s" of writing a literature review:

• Cite , so as to keep the primary focus on the literature pertinent to your research problem.
• Compare the various arguments, theories, methodologies, and findings expressed in the literature: what do the authors agree on? Who applies similar approaches to analyzing the research problem?
• Contrast the various arguments, themes, methodologies, approaches, and controversies expressed in the literature: what are the major areas of disagreement, controversy, or debate?
• Critique the literature: Which arguments are more persuasive, and why? Which approaches, findings, methodologies seem most reliable, valid, or appropriate, and why? Pay attention to the verbs you use to describe what an author says/does [e.g., asserts, demonstrates, argues, etc.] .
• Connect the literature to your own area of research and investigation: how does your own work draw upon, depart from, synthesize, or add a new perspective to what has been said in the literature?

IV.  Research Design and Methods

This section must be well-written and logically organized because you are not actually doing the research, yet, your reader must have confidence that it is worth pursuing . The reader will never have a study outcome from which to evaluate whether your methodological choices were the correct ones. Thus, the objective here is to convince the reader that your overall research design and methods of analysis will correctly address the problem and that the methods will provide the means to effectively interpret the potential results. Your design and methods should be unmistakably tied to the specific aims of your study.

Describe the overall research design by building upon and drawing examples from your review of the literature. Consider not only methods that other researchers have used but methods of data gathering that have not been used but perhaps could be. Be specific about the methodological approaches you plan to undertake to obtain information, the techniques you would use to analyze the data, and the tests of external validity to which you commit yourself [i.e., the trustworthiness by which you can generalize from your study to other people, places, events, and/or periods of time].

When describing the methods you will use, be sure to cover the following:

• Specify the research operations you will undertake and the way you will interpret the results of these operations in relation to the research problem. Don't just describe what you intend to achieve from applying the methods you choose, but state how you will spend your time while applying these methods [e.g., coding text from interviews to find statements about the need to change school curriculum; running a regression to determine if there is a relationship between campaign advertising on social media sites and election outcomes in Europe ].
• Keep in mind that a methodology is not just a list of tasks; it is an argument as to why these tasks add up to the best way to investigate the research problem. This is an important point because the mere listing of tasks to be performed does not demonstrate that, collectively, they effectively address the research problem. Be sure you explain this.
• Anticipate and acknowledge any potential barriers and pitfalls in carrying out your research design and explain how you plan to address them. No method is perfect so you need to describe where you believe challenges may exist in obtaining data or accessing information. It's always better to acknowledge this than to have it brought up by your reader.

Develop a Research Proposal: Writing the Proposal . Office of Library Information Services. Baltimore County Public Schools; Heath, M. Teresa Pereira and Caroline Tynan. “Crafting a Research Proposal.” The Marketing Review 10 (Summer 2010): 147-168; Jones, Mark. “Writing a Research Proposal.” In MasterClass in Geography Education: Transforming Teaching and Learning . Graham Butt, editor. (New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2015), pp. 113-127; Juni, Muhamad Hanafiah. “Writing a Research Proposal.” International Journal of Public Health and Clinical Sciences 1 (September/October 2014): 229-240; Krathwohl, David R. How to Prepare a Dissertation Proposal: Suggestions for Students in Education and the Social and Behavioral Sciences . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2005; Procter, Margaret. The Academic Proposal . The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Punch, Keith and Wayne McGowan. "Developing and Writing a Research Proposal." In From Postgraduate to Social Scientist: A Guide to Key Skills . Nigel Gilbert, ed. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2006), 59-81; Wong, Paul T. P. How to Write a Research Proposal . International Network on Personal Meaning. Trinity Western University; Writing Academic Proposals: Conferences, Articles, and Books . The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing a Research Proposal . University Library. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Assignments

• Annotated Bibliography
• Analyzing a Scholarly Journal Article
• Group Presentations
• Dealing with Nervousness
• Using Visual Aids
• Grading Someone Else's Paper
• Types of Structured Group Activities
• Group Project Survival Skills
• Leading a Class Discussion
• Multiple Book Review Essay
• Reviewing Collected Works
• Writing a Case Analysis Paper
• Writing a Case Study
• About Informed Consent
• Writing Field Notes
• Writing a Policy Memo
• Writing a Reflective Paper
• Writing a Research Proposal
• Generative AI and Writing
• Acknowledgments

The goal of a research proposal is twofold: to present and justify the need to study a research problem and to present the practical ways in which the proposed study should be conducted. The design elements and procedures for conducting research are governed by standards of the predominant discipline in which the problem resides, therefore, the guidelines for research proposals are more exacting and less formal than a general project proposal. Research proposals contain extensive literature reviews. They must provide persuasive evidence that a need exists for the proposed study. In addition to providing a rationale, a proposal describes detailed methodology for conducting the research consistent with requirements of the professional or academic field and a statement on anticipated outcomes and benefits derived from the study's completion.

Krathwohl, David R. How to Prepare a Dissertation Proposal: Suggestions for Students in Education and the Social and Behavioral Sciences . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2005.

How to Approach Writing a Research Proposal

Your professor may assign the task of writing a research proposal for the following reasons:

• Develop your skills in thinking about and designing a comprehensive research study;
• Learn how to conduct a comprehensive review of the literature to determine that the research problem has not been adequately addressed or has been answered ineffectively and, in so doing, become better at locating pertinent scholarship related to your topic;
• Improve your general research and writing skills;
• Practice identifying the logical steps that must be taken to accomplish one's research goals;
• Critically review, examine, and consider the use of different methods for gathering and analyzing data related to the research problem; and,
• Nurture a sense of inquisitiveness within yourself and to help see yourself as an active participant in the process of conducting scholarly research.

A proposal should contain all the key elements involved in designing a completed research study, with sufficient information that allows readers to assess the validity and usefulness of your proposed study. The only elements missing from a research proposal are the findings of the study and your analysis of those findings. Finally, an effective proposal is judged on the quality of your writing and, therefore, it is important that your proposal is coherent, clear, and compelling.

Regardless of the research problem you are investigating and the methodology you choose, all research proposals must address the following questions:

• What do you plan to accomplish? Be clear and succinct in defining the research problem and what it is you are proposing to investigate.
• Why do you want to do the research? In addition to detailing your research design, you also must conduct a thorough review of the literature and provide convincing evidence that it is a topic worthy of in-depth study. A successful research proposal must answer the "So What?" question.
• How are you going to conduct the research? Be sure that what you propose is doable. If you're having difficulty formulating a research problem to propose investigating, go here for strategies in developing a problem to study.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Failure to be concise . A research proposal must be focused and not be "all over the map" or diverge into unrelated tangents without a clear sense of purpose.
• Failure to cite landmark works in your literature review . Proposals should be grounded in foundational research that lays a foundation for understanding the development and scope of the the topic and its relevance.
• Failure to delimit the contextual scope of your research [e.g., time, place, people, etc.]. As with any research paper, your proposed study must inform the reader how and in what ways the study will frame the problem.
• Failure to develop a coherent and persuasive argument for the proposed research . This is critical. In many workplace settings, the research proposal is a formal document intended to argue for why a study should be funded.
• Sloppy or imprecise writing, or poor grammar . Although a research proposal does not represent a completed research study, there is still an expectation that it is well-written and follows the style and rules of good academic writing.
• Too much detail on minor issues, but not enough detail on major issues . Your proposal should focus on only a few key research questions in order to support the argument that the research needs to be conducted. Minor issues, even if valid, can be mentioned but they should not dominate the overall narrative.

Procter, Margaret. The Academic Proposal.  The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Sanford, Keith. Information for Students: Writing a Research Proposal. Baylor University; Wong, Paul T. P. How to Write a Research Proposal. International Network on Personal Meaning. Trinity Western University; Writing Academic Proposals: Conferences, Articles, and Books. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing a Research Proposal. University Library. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Structure and Writing Style

Beginning the Proposal Process

As with writing most college-level academic papers, research proposals are generally organized the same way throughout most social science disciplines. The text of proposals generally vary in length between ten and thirty-five pages, followed by the list of references. However, before you begin, read the assignment carefully and, if anything seems unclear, ask your professor whether there are any specific requirements for organizing and writing the proposal.

A good place to begin is to ask yourself a series of questions:

• What do I want to study?
• Why is the topic important?
• How is it significant within the subject areas covered in my class?
• What problems will it help solve?
• How does it build upon [and hopefully go beyond] research already conducted on the topic?
• What exactly should I plan to do, and can I get it done in the time available?

In general, a compelling research proposal should document your knowledge of the topic and demonstrate your enthusiasm for conducting the study. Approach it with the intention of leaving your readers feeling like, "Wow, that's an exciting idea and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!"

Most proposals should include the following sections:

I.  Introduction

In the real world of higher education, a research proposal is most often written by scholars seeking grant funding for a research project or it's the first step in getting approval to write a doctoral dissertation. Even if this is just a course assignment, treat your introduction as the initial pitch of an idea based on a thorough examination of the significance of a research problem. After reading the introduction, your readers should not only have an understanding of what you want to do, but they should also be able to gain a sense of your passion for the topic and to be excited about the study's possible outcomes. Note that most proposals do not include an abstract [summary] before the introduction.

Think about your introduction as a narrative written in two to four paragraphs that succinctly answers the following four questions :

• What is the central research problem?
• What is the topic of study related to that research problem?
• What methods should be used to analyze the research problem?
• Answer the "So What?" question by explaining why this is important research, what is its significance, and why should someone reading the proposal care about the outcomes of the proposed study?

II.  Background and Significance

This is where you explain the scope and context of your proposal and describe in detail why it's important. It can be melded into your introduction or you can create a separate section to help with the organization and narrative flow of your proposal. Approach writing this section with the thought that you can’t assume your readers will know as much about the research problem as you do. Note that this section is not an essay going over everything you have learned about the topic; instead, you must choose what is most relevant in explaining the aims of your research.

To that end, while there are no prescribed rules for establishing the significance of your proposed study, you should attempt to address some or all of the following:

• State the research problem and give a more detailed explanation about the purpose of the study than what you stated in the introduction. This is particularly important if the problem is complex or multifaceted .
• Present the rationale of your proposed study and clearly indicate why it is worth doing; be sure to answer the "So What? question [i.e., why should anyone care?].
• Describe the major issues or problems examined by your research. This can be in the form of questions to be addressed. Be sure to note how your proposed study builds on previous assumptions about the research problem.
• Explain the methods you plan to use for conducting your research. Clearly identify the key sources you intend to use and explain how they will contribute to your analysis of the topic.
• Describe the boundaries of your proposed research in order to provide a clear focus. Where appropriate, state not only what you plan to study, but what aspects of the research problem will be excluded from the study.
• If necessary, provide definitions of key concepts, theories, or terms.

III.  Literature Review

Connected to the background and significance of your study is a section of your proposal devoted to a more deliberate review and synthesis of prior studies related to the research problem under investigation . The purpose here is to place your project within the larger whole of what is currently being explored, while at the same time, demonstrating to your readers that your work is original and innovative. Think about what questions other researchers have asked, what methodological approaches they have used, and what is your understanding of their findings and, when stated, their recommendations. Also pay attention to any suggestions for further research.

Since a literature review is information dense, it is crucial that this section is intelligently structured to enable a reader to grasp the key arguments underpinning your proposed study in relation to the arguments put forth by other researchers. A good strategy is to break the literature into "conceptual categories" [themes] rather than systematically or chronologically describing groups of materials one at a time. Note that conceptual categories generally reveal themselves after you have read most of the pertinent literature on your topic so adding new categories is an on-going process of discovery as you review more studies. How do you know you've covered the key conceptual categories underlying the research literature? Generally, you can have confidence that all of the significant conceptual categories have been identified if you start to see repetition in the conclusions or recommendations that are being made.

NOTE: Do not shy away from challenging the conclusions made in prior research as a basis for supporting the need for your proposal. Assess what you believe is missing and state how previous research has failed to adequately examine the issue that your study addresses. Highlighting the problematic conclusions strengthens your proposal. For more information on writing literature reviews, GO HERE .

To help frame your proposal's review of prior research, consider the "five C’s" of writing a literature review:

• Cite , so as to keep the primary focus on the literature pertinent to your research problem.
• Compare the various arguments, theories, methodologies, and findings expressed in the literature: what do the authors agree on? Who applies similar approaches to analyzing the research problem?
• Contrast the various arguments, themes, methodologies, approaches, and controversies expressed in the literature: describe what are the major areas of disagreement, controversy, or debate among scholars?
• Critique the literature: Which arguments are more persuasive, and why? Which approaches, findings, and methodologies seem most reliable, valid, or appropriate, and why? Pay attention to the verbs you use to describe what an author says/does [e.g., asserts, demonstrates, argues, etc.].
• Connect the literature to your own area of research and investigation: how does your own work draw upon, depart from, synthesize, or add a new perspective to what has been said in the literature?

IV.  Research Design and Methods

This section must be well-written and logically organized because you are not actually doing the research, yet, your reader must have confidence that you have a plan worth pursuing . The reader will never have a study outcome from which to evaluate whether your methodological choices were the correct ones. Thus, the objective here is to convince the reader that your overall research design and proposed methods of analysis will correctly address the problem and that the methods will provide the means to effectively interpret the potential results. Your design and methods should be unmistakably tied to the specific aims of your study.

Describe the overall research design by building upon and drawing examples from your review of the literature. Consider not only methods that other researchers have used, but methods of data gathering that have not been used but perhaps could be. Be specific about the methodological approaches you plan to undertake to obtain information, the techniques you would use to analyze the data, and the tests of external validity to which you commit yourself [i.e., the trustworthiness by which you can generalize from your study to other people, places, events, and/or periods of time].

When describing the methods you will use, be sure to cover the following:

• Specify the research process you will undertake and the way you will interpret the results obtained in relation to the research problem. Don't just describe what you intend to achieve from applying the methods you choose, but state how you will spend your time while applying these methods [e.g., coding text from interviews to find statements about the need to change school curriculum; running a regression to determine if there is a relationship between campaign advertising on social media sites and election outcomes in Europe ].
• Keep in mind that the methodology is not just a list of tasks; it is a deliberate argument as to why techniques for gathering information add up to the best way to investigate the research problem. This is an important point because the mere listing of tasks to be performed does not demonstrate that, collectively, they effectively address the research problem. Be sure you clearly explain this.
• Anticipate and acknowledge any potential barriers and pitfalls in carrying out your research design and explain how you plan to address them. No method applied to research in the social and behavioral sciences is perfect, so you need to describe where you believe challenges may exist in obtaining data or accessing information. It's always better to acknowledge this than to have it brought up by your professor!

V.  Preliminary Suppositions and Implications

Just because you don't have to actually conduct the study and analyze the results, doesn't mean you can skip talking about the analytical process and potential implications . The purpose of this section is to argue how and in what ways you believe your research will refine, revise, or extend existing knowledge in the subject area under investigation. Depending on the aims and objectives of your study, describe how the anticipated results will impact future scholarly research, theory, practice, forms of interventions, or policy making. Note that such discussions may have either substantive [a potential new policy], theoretical [a potential new understanding], or methodological [a potential new way of analyzing] significance.   When thinking about the potential implications of your study, ask the following questions:

• What might the results mean in regards to challenging the theoretical framework and underlying assumptions that support the study?
• What suggestions for subsequent research could arise from the potential outcomes of the study?
• What will the results mean to practitioners in the natural settings of their workplace, organization, or community?
• Will the results influence programs, methods, and/or forms of intervention?
• How might the results contribute to the solution of social, economic, or other types of problems?
• Will the results influence policy decisions?
• In what way do individuals or groups benefit should your study be pursued?
• What will be improved or changed as a result of the proposed research?
• How will the results of the study be implemented and what innovations or transformative insights could emerge from the process of implementation?

NOTE:   This section should not delve into idle speculation, opinion, or be formulated on the basis of unclear evidence . The purpose is to reflect upon gaps or understudied areas of the current literature and describe how your proposed research contributes to a new understanding of the research problem should the study be implemented as designed.

ANOTHER NOTE : This section is also where you describe any potential limitations to your proposed study. While it is impossible to highlight all potential limitations because the study has yet to be conducted, you still must tell the reader where and in what form impediments may arise and how you plan to address them.

VI.  Conclusion

The conclusion reiterates the importance or significance of your proposal and provides a brief summary of the entire study . This section should be only one or two paragraphs long, emphasizing why the research problem is worth investigating, why your research study is unique, and how it should advance existing knowledge.

Someone reading this section should come away with an understanding of:

• Why the study should be done;
• The specific purpose of the study and the research questions it attempts to answer;
• The decision for why the research design and methods used where chosen over other options;
• The potential implications emerging from your proposed study of the research problem; and
• A sense of how your study fits within the broader scholarship about the research problem.

VII.  Citations

As with any scholarly research paper, you must cite the sources you used . In a standard research proposal, this section can take two forms, so consult with your professor about which one is preferred.

• References -- a list of only the sources you actually used in creating your proposal.
• Bibliography -- a list of everything you used in creating your proposal, along with additional citations to any key sources relevant to understanding the research problem.

In either case, this section should testify to the fact that you did enough preparatory work to ensure the project will complement and not just duplicate the efforts of other researchers. It demonstrates to the reader that you have a thorough understanding of prior research on the topic.

Most proposal formats have you start a new page and use the heading "References" or "Bibliography" centered at the top of the page. Cited works should always use a standard format that follows the writing style advised by the discipline of your course [e.g., education=APA; history=Chicago] or that is preferred by your professor. This section normally does not count towards the total page length of your research proposal.

Develop a Research Proposal: Writing the Proposal. Office of Library Information Services. Baltimore County Public Schools; Heath, M. Teresa Pereira and Caroline Tynan. “Crafting a Research Proposal.” The Marketing Review 10 (Summer 2010): 147-168; Jones, Mark. “Writing a Research Proposal.” In MasterClass in Geography Education: Transforming Teaching and Learning . Graham Butt, editor. (New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2015), pp. 113-127; Juni, Muhamad Hanafiah. “Writing a Research Proposal.” International Journal of Public Health and Clinical Sciences 1 (September/October 2014): 229-240; Krathwohl, David R. How to Prepare a Dissertation Proposal: Suggestions for Students in Education and the Social and Behavioral Sciences . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2005; Procter, Margaret. The Academic Proposal. The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Punch, Keith and Wayne McGowan. "Developing and Writing a Research Proposal." In From Postgraduate to Social Scientist: A Guide to Key Skills . Nigel Gilbert, ed. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2006), 59-81; Wong, Paul T. P. How to Write a Research Proposal. International Network on Personal Meaning. Trinity Western University; Writing Academic Proposals: Conferences , Articles, and Books. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing a Research Proposal. University Library. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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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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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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How to write a research proposal

You will need to submit a research proposal with your PhD application. This is crucial in the assessment of your application and it warrants plenty of time and energy.

Your proposal should outline your project and be around 1,500 words.

Your research proposal should include a working title for your project.

Overview of the research

In this section, you should provide a short overview of your research. You should also state how your research fits into the research priorities of your particular subject area.

Here you can refer to the research areas and priorities of a particular research grouping or supervisor.

You must also state precisely why you have chosen to apply to the discipline area and how your research links into our overall profile.

Positioning of the research

This should reference the most important texts related to the research, demonstrate your understanding of the research issues, and identify existing gaps (both theoretical and practical) that the research is intended to address.

Research design and methodology

This section should identify the information that is necessary to carry out the analysis and the possible research techniques that could deliver the information.

Ethical considerations

You should identify and address any potential ethical considerations in relation to your proposed research. Please discuss your research with your proposed supervisor to see how best to progress your ideas in line with University of Manchester ethics guidance, and ensure that your proposed supervisor is happy for you to proceed with your application.

Your research proposal will be used to assess the quality and originality of your ideas, whether you are able to think critically and whether you have a grasp of the relevant literature. It also gives us important information about the perspectives you intend to take on your research area, and how you fit into the department's research profile overall. This is helpful when assigning a supervisor.

If you are applying to study an Economics postgraduate research programme, our advice and requirements are slightly different:

• How to write an economics proposal

Supervisors

We encourage you to discuss your proposal informally with a potential supervisor before making a formal application to ensure it is of mutual interest.

Please note that we cannot guarantee that we will be able to allocate you to the supervisor you initially contact and that we may allocate you to another expert in the area.

• Find a supervisor

Flexibility

You will not be forced to follow the proposal exactly once you have started to study. It is normal for students to refine their original proposal, in light of detailed literature review, further consideration of research approaches and comments received from your supervisors (and other academic staff).

Pitfalls to avoid

We sometimes have to reject students who meet the academic requirements but have not produced a satisfactory research proposal, therefore:

• Make sure that your research idea, question or problem is very clearly stated and well-grounded in academic research.
• Make sure that your proposal is well focused and conforms exactly to the submission requirements described here.
• Poorly specified, jargon-filled or rambling proposals will not convince us that you have a clear idea of what you want to do.

The University uses electronic systems to detect plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice and for assessment. All Humanities PhD programmes require the submission of a research proposal as part of the application process. The Doctoral Academy upholds the principle that where a candidate approaches the University with a project of study, this should be original. While it is understandable that research may arise out of previous studies, it is vital that your research proposal is not the subject of plagiarism.

Example proposals

• Philosophy - Example 1
• Philosophy - Example 2
• Politics - Example 1
• Politics - Example 2
• Social Anthropology - Example 1
• Social Anthropology - Example 2
• Social Statistics - Example 1
• Social Statistics - Example 2
• Sociology - Example 1
• Sociology - Example 2

Further help

The following books may help you to prepare your research proposal (as well as in doing your research degree).

• Bell, J. (1999):  Doing Your Research Project: A Guide for First-time Researchers in Education & Social Science , (Oxford University Press, Oxford).
• Baxter, L, Hughes, C. and Tight, M. (2001):  How to Research , (Open University Press, Milton Keynes).
• Cryer, P. (2000):  The Research Student's Guide to Success , (Open University, Milton Keynes).
• Delamont, S., Atkinson, P. and Parry, O. (1997):  Supervising the PhD , (Open University Press, Milton Keynes).
• Philips, E. and Pugh, D. (2005):  How to get a PhD: A Handbook for Students and their Supervisors , (Open University Press, Milton Keynes).

If you need help and advice about your application, contact the Postgraduate Admissions Team.

Admissions contacts

University guidelines

You may also find it useful to read the advice and guidance on the University website about writing a proposal for your research degree application.

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• RIT Libraries
• Social/Behavioral Sciences Research Guide
• Writing a Research Proposal

This InfoGuide assists students starting their research proposal and literature review.

• Introduction
• Research Process
• Types of Research Methodology
• Data Collection Methods
• Anatomy of a Scholarly Article
• Finding a topic
• Identifying a Research Problem
• Problem Statement
• Research Question
• Research Design
• Search Strategies
• Psychology Database Limiters
• Literature Review Search
• Annotated Bibliography
• Writing a Literature Review

Writing a Rsearch Proposal

A  research proposal  describes what you will investigate, why it’s important, and how you will conduct your research.  Your paper should include the topic, research question and hypothesis, methods, predictions, and results (if not actual, then projected).

Research Proposal Aims

Show your reader why your project is interesting, original, and important. The format of a research proposal varies between fields, but most proposals will contain at least these elements: 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. Proposal Format The proposal will usually have a  title page  that includes: The proposed title of your project Your supervisor’s name Your institution and department Introduction 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 will your research contribute Why you believe this research is worth doing 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 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 Research design and methods Following the literature review, restate your main  objectives . This brings the focus back to your 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. Write up your projected, if not actual, results. Contribution to knowledge 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 Lastly, 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 free APA citation generators like BibGuru. Databases have a citation button you can click on to see your citation. Sometimes you have to re-format it as the citations may have mistakes.  << Previous: Writing a Literature Review Edit this Guide Log into Dashboard Use of RIT resources is reserved for current RIT students, faculty and staff for academic and teaching purposes only. Please contact your librarian with any questions. Help is Available Email a Librarian A librarian is available by e-mail at [email protected] Meet with a Librarian Call reference desk voicemail. A librarian is available by phone at (585) 475-2563 or on Skype at llll Or, call (585) 475-2563 to leave a voicemail with the reference desk during normal business hours . Chat with a Librarian Social/behavioral sciences research guide infoguide url. https://infoguides.rit.edu/researchguide Use the box below to email yourself a link to this guide How to write a Research Proposal: Explained with Examples At some time in your student phase, you will have to do a Thesis or Dissertation, and for that, you will have to submit a research proposal. A Research Proposal in its most basic definition is a formally structured document that explains what, why, and how of your research. This document explains What you plan to research (your topic or theme of research), Why you are doing this research (justifying your research topic), and How you will do (your approach to complete the research). The purpose of a proposal is to convince other people apart from yourself that the work you’re doing is suitable and feasible for your academic position. The process of writing a research proposal is lengthy and time-consuming. Your proposal will need constant edits as you keep taking your work forward and continue receiving feedback. Although, there is a structure or a template that needs to be followed. This article will guide you through this strenuous task. So, let’s get to work! Research Proposal: Example [ Let us take a running example throughout the article so that we cover all the points. Let us assume that we are working on a dissertation that needs to study the relationship between Gender and Money. ] The Title is one of the first things the reader comes across. Your title should be crisp yet communicate all that you are trying to convey to the reader. In academia, a title gets even more weightage because in a sea of resources, sometimes your research project can get ignored because the title didn’t speak for itself. Therefore, make sure that you brainstorm multiple title options and see which fits the best. Many times in academic writing we use two forms of titles: the Main Title and the Subtitle. If you think that you cannot justify your research using just a Title, you can add a subtitle which will then convey the rest of your explanation. [ Explanation through an example: Our theme is “Gender and Money”. Insider’s Info: If you are not confident about your title in your research proposal, then write “Tentative Title” in brackets and italic below your Title. In this way, your superiors (professor or supervisor) will know that you are still working on fixing the title. Overview / Abstract Existing literature, difference between “literature review” and “existing literature”. A literature review is a detailed essay that discusses all the material which is already out there regarding your topic. For a literature review, you will have to mention all the literature you have read and then explain how they benefit you in your field of research. Whereas, an existing literature segment in your research proposal is the compact version of a literature review. It is a two to three-paragraph portion that locates your research topic in the larger argument. Here you need not reveal all your literature resources, but only mention the major ones which will be recurring literature throughout your research. To find the existing literature on this topic you should find academic articles relating to the themes of money, gender, economy, income, etc. ] Research Gap As you read and gather knowledge on your topic, you will start forming your own views. This might lead you to two conclusions. First, there exists a lot of literature regarding the relationship between gender and money, but they are all lacking something. Second, in the bundle of existing literature, you can bring a fresh perspective. Both of these thoughts help you in formulating your research gap. A research gap is nothing but you justifying why you should continue with your research even when it has been discussed many times already. Quoting your research gap helps you make a place for yourself in the academic world. [ Explanation through an example: Now we know that our topic is: Our theme is “A study of “Gendered Money” in the Rural households of Delhi.” Insider’s Info : If you are unable to find a research gap for your dissertation, the best hack to fall back on is to say that all the research done up to this point have been based on western notions and social facts, but you will conduct research which holds in your localized reality. Research Question / Hypothesis Some of the research questions you can state can be, Insider’s Info: If you are confused about your research question, you can look at the questions taken up by the other authors you studied and modify them according to your point of view. But we seriously recommend that the best way to do your research is by coming up with your research question on your own. Believe in yourself! Research Methodology / Research Design This part of the research proposal is about how you will conduct and complete your research. To understand better what research methodology is, we should first clarify the difference between methodology and method. Research Method is the technique used by you to conduct your research. A method includes the sources of collecting your data such as case studies, interviews, surveys, etc. On the other hand, Methodology is how you plan to apply your method . Your methodology determines how you execute various methods during the course of your dissertation. Your methodology should explain where you are conducting the research and how. So for this research, your field will be rural Delhi. Explain why you chose to study rural households and not urban ones. Then comes the how, some of the methods you might want to opt for can be Interviews, Questionnaires, and/or Focused Group Discussions. Do not forget to mention your sample size, i.e., the number of people you plan to talk to. ] This will not even be a section, but just 2 lines in your proposal where you will state the amount of time you plan to complete your dissertation and how you will utilize that time. This portion can also be included in your “Research Methodology” section. We have stated this as a separate subheading so that you do not miss out on this small but mighty aspect. Aim of the Research The aim of the research is where you try to predict the result of your research. Your aim is what you wish to achieve at the end of this long process. This section also informs your supervisor how your research will be located in the ongoing larger argument corresponding to your selected topic/theme. Remember the research questions you set up for yourself earlier? This is the time when you envision answers to those questions. Insider’s Info: The aim you write right now is just a prediction or the expected outcome. Therefore, even if the result of your research is different in the end it doesn’t matter. Bibliography Example: Tichenor, Veronica Jaris (1999). “Status and income as gendered resources: The case of marital power”. Journal of Marriage and Family . Pg 938-65 ] Learn: Citation with Examples https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research/ Home > College of Social and Behavioral Sciences > Social Work > Social Work Theses Social Work Theses, Projects, and Dissertations Theses/projects/dissertations from 2024 2024. 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Pfau Library Home | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement Privacy Copyright Acrobat Reader What (Exactly) Is A Research Proposal? A simple explainer with examples + free template. By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2020 (Updated April 2023) Whether you’re nearing the end of your degree and your dissertation is on the horizon, or you’re planning to apply for a PhD program, chances are you’ll need to craft a convincing research proposal . If you’re on this page, you’re probably unsure exactly what the research proposal is all about. Well, you’ve come to the right place. Overview: Research Proposal Basics What a research proposal is What a research proposal needs to cover How to structure your research proposal Example /sample proposals Proposal writing FAQs Key takeaways & additional resources What is a research proposal? Simply put, a research proposal is a structured, formal document that explains what you plan to research (your research topic), why it’s worth researching (your justification), and how  you plan to investigate it (your methodology).  The purpose of the research proposal (its job, so to speak) is to convince  your research supervisor, committee or university that your research is  suitable  (for the requirements of the degree program) and  manageable  (given the time and resource constraints you will face).  The most important word here is “ convince ” – in other words, your research proposal needs to  sell  your research idea (to whoever is going to approve it). If it doesn’t convince them (of its suitability and manageability), you’ll need to revise and resubmit . This will cost you valuable time, which will either delay the start of your research or eat into its time allowance (which is bad news).  What goes into a research proposal? A good dissertation or thesis proposal needs to cover the “ what “, “ why ” and” how ” of the proposed study. Let’s look at each of these attributes in a little more detail: Your proposal needs to clearly articulate your research topic . This needs to be specific and unambiguous . Your research topic should make it clear exactly what you plan to research and in what context. Here’s an example of a well-articulated research topic: An investigation into the factors which impact female Generation Y consumer’s likelihood to promote a specific makeup brand to their peers: a British context As you can see, this topic is extremely clear. From this one line we can see exactly: What’s being investigated – factors that make people promote or advocate for a brand of a specific makeup brand Who it involves – female Gen-Y consumers In what context – the United Kingdom So, make sure that your research proposal provides a detailed explanation of your research topic . If possible, also briefly outline your research aims and objectives , and perhaps even your research questions (although in some cases you’ll only develop these at a later stage). Needless to say, don’t start writing your proposal until you have a clear topic in mind , or you’ll end up waffling and your research proposal will suffer as a result of this. Need a helping hand? As we touched on earlier, it’s not good enough to simply propose a research topic – you need to justify why your topic is original . In other words, what makes it  unique ? What gap in the current literature does it fill? If it’s simply a rehash of the existing research, it’s probably not going to get approval – it needs to be fresh. But,  originality  alone is not enough. Once you’ve ticked that box, you also need to justify why your proposed topic is  important . In other words, what value will it add to the world if you achieve your research aims? As an example, let’s look at the sample research topic we mentioned earlier (factors impacting brand advocacy). In this case, if the research could uncover relevant factors, these findings would be very useful to marketers in the cosmetics industry, and would, therefore, have commercial value . That is a clear justification for the research. So, when you’re crafting your research proposal, remember that it’s not enough for a topic to simply be unique. It needs to be useful and value-creating – and you need to convey that value in your proposal. If you’re struggling to find a research topic that makes the cut, watch  our video covering how to find a research topic . It’s all good and well to have a great topic that’s original and valuable, but you’re not going to convince anyone to approve it without discussing the practicalities – in other words: How will you actually undertake your research (i.e., your methodology)? Is your research methodology appropriate given your research aims? Is your approach manageable given your constraints (time, money, etc.)? While it’s generally not expected that you’ll have a fully fleshed-out methodology at the proposal stage, you’ll likely still need to provide a high-level overview of your research methodology . Here are some important questions you’ll need to address in your research proposal: Will you take a qualitative , quantitative or mixed -method approach? What sampling strategy will you adopt? How will you collect your data (e.g., interviews, surveys, etc)? How will you analyse your data (e.g., descriptive and inferential statistics , content analysis, discourse analysis, etc, .)? What potential limitations will your methodology carry? So, be sure to give some thought to the practicalities of your research and have at least a basic methodological plan before you start writing up your proposal. If this all sounds rather intimidating, the video below provides a good introduction to research methodology and the key choices you’ll need to make. How To Structure A Research Proposal Now that we’ve covered the key points that need to be addressed in a proposal, you may be wondering, “ But how is a research proposal structured? “. While the exact structure and format required for a research proposal differs from university to university, there are four “essential ingredients” that commonly make up the structure of a research proposal: A rich introduction and background to the proposed research An initial literature review covering the existing research An overview of the proposed research methodology A discussion regarding the practicalities (project plans, timelines, etc.) In the video below, we unpack each of these four sections, step by step. Research Proposal Examples/Samples In the video below, we provide a detailed walkthrough of two successful research proposals (Master’s and PhD-level), as well as our popular free proposal template. Proposal Writing FAQs How long should a research proposal be. This varies tremendously, depending on the university, the field of study (e.g., social sciences vs natural sciences), and the level of the degree (e.g. undergraduate, Masters or PhD) – so it’s always best to check with your university what their specific requirements are before you start planning your proposal. As a rough guide, a formal research proposal at Masters-level often ranges between 2000-3000 words, while a PhD-level proposal can be far more detailed, ranging from 5000-8000 words. In some cases, a rough outline of the topic is all that’s needed, while in other cases, universities expect a very detailed proposal that essentially forms the first three chapters of the dissertation or thesis. The takeaway – be sure to check with your institution before you start writing. How do I choose a topic for my research proposal? Finding a good research topic is a process that involves multiple steps. We cover the topic ideation process in this video post. How do I write a literature review for my proposal? While you typically won’t need a comprehensive literature review at the proposal stage, you still need to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the key literature and are able to synthesise it. We explain the literature review process here. How do I create a timeline and budget for my proposal? We explain how to craft a project plan/timeline and budget in Research Proposal Bootcamp . Which referencing format should I use in my research proposal? The expectations and requirements regarding formatting and referencing vary from institution to institution. Therefore, you’ll need to check this information with your university. What common proposal writing mistakes do I need to look out for? We’ve create a video post about some of the most common mistakes students make when writing a proposal – you can access that here . If you’re short on time, here’s a quick summary: The research topic is too broad (or just poorly articulated). The research aims, objectives and questions don’t align. The research topic is not well justified. The study has a weak theoretical foundation. The research design is not well articulated well enough. Poor writing and sloppy presentation. Poor project planning and risk management. Not following the university’s specific criteria. Key Takeaways & Additional Resources As you write up your research proposal, remember the all-important core purpose:  to convince . Your research proposal needs to sell your study in terms of suitability and viability. So, focus on crafting a convincing narrative to ensure a strong proposal. At the same time, pay close attention to your university’s requirements. While we’ve covered the essentials here, every institution has its own set of expectations and it’s essential that you follow these to maximise your chances of approval. By the way, we’ve got plenty more resources to help you fast-track your research proposal. Here are some of our most popular resources to get you started: Proposal Writing 101 : A Introductory Webinar Research Proposal Bootcamp : The Ultimate Online Course Template : A basic template to help you craft your proposal If you’re looking for 1-on-1 support with your research proposal, be sure to check out our private coaching service , where we hold your hand through the proposal development process (and the entire research journey), step by step. Psst… there’s more! This post is an extract from our bestselling short course, Research Proposal Bootcamp . If you want to work smart, you don't want to miss this . You Might Also Like: 51 Comments I truly enjoyed this video, as it was eye-opening to what I have to do in the preparation of preparing a Research proposal. I would be interested in getting some coaching. I real appreciate on your elaboration on how to develop research proposal,the video explains each steps clearly. Thank you for the video. It really assisted me and my niece. I am a PhD candidate and she is an undergraduate student. It is at times, very difficult to guide a family member but with this video, my job is done. In view of the above, I welcome more coaching. Wonderful guidelines, thanks This is very helpful. Would love to continue even as I prepare for starting my masters next year. Thanks for the work done, the text was helpful to me Bundle of thanks to you for the research proposal guide it was really good and useful if it is possible please send me the sample of research proposal You’re most welcome. We don’t have any research proposals that we can share (the students own the intellectual property), but you might find our research proposal template useful: https://gradcoach.com/research-proposal-template/ Cheruiyot Moses Kipyegon Thanks alot. It was an eye opener that came timely enough before my imminent proposal defense. Thanks, again thank you very much your lesson is very interested may God be with you I am an undergraduate student (First Degree) preparing to write my project,this video and explanation had shed more light to me thanks for your efforts keep it up. Very useful. I am grateful. this is a very a good guidance on research proposal, for sure i have learnt something Wonderful guidelines for writing a research proposal, I am a student of m.phil( education), this guideline is suitable for me. Thanks You’re welcome 🙂 Thank you, this was so helpful. A really great and insightful video. It opened my eyes as to how to write a research paper. I would like to receive more guidance for writing my research paper from your esteemed faculty. Thank you, great insights Thank you, great insights, thank you so much, feeling edified Wow thank you, great insights, thanks a lot Thank you. This is a great insight. I am a student preparing for a PhD program. I am requested to write my Research Proposal as part of what I am required to submit before my unconditional admission. I am grateful having listened to this video which will go a long way in helping me to actually choose a topic of interest and not just any topic as well as to narrow down the topic and be specific about it. I indeed need more of this especially as am trying to choose a topic suitable for a DBA am about embarking on. Thank you once more. The video is indeed helpful. Have learnt a lot just at the right time. Thank you so much. thank you very much ,because have learn a lot things concerning research proposal and be blessed u for your time that you providing to help us Hi. For my MSc medical education research, please evaluate this topic for me: Training Needs Assessment of Faculty in Medical Training Institutions in Kericho and Bomet Counties I have really learnt a lot based on research proposal and it’s formulation Thank you. I learn much from the proposal since it is applied Your effort is much appreciated – you have good articulation. You have good articulation. I do applaud your simplified method of explaining the subject matter, which indeed has broaden my understanding of the subject matter. Definitely this would enable me writing a sellable research proposal. This really helping Great! I liked your tutoring on how to find a research topic and how to write a research proposal. Precise and concise. Thank you very much. Will certainly share this with my students. Research made simple indeed. Thank you very much. I an now assist my students effectively. Thank you very much. I can now assist my students effectively. I need any research proposal Thank you for these videos. I will need chapter by chapter assistance in writing my MSc dissertation Very helpfull the videos are very good and straight forward thanks so much for this wonderful presentations, i really enjoyed it to the fullest wish to learn more from you Thank you very much. I learned a lot from your lecture. I really enjoy the in-depth knowledge on research proposal you have given. me. You have indeed broaden my understanding and skills. Thank you interesting session this has equipped me with knowledge as i head for exams in an hour’s time, am sure i get A++ This article was most informative and easy to understand. I now have a good idea of how to write my research proposal. Thank you very much. Wow, this literature is very resourceful and interesting to read. I enjoyed it and I intend reading it every now then. Thank you for the clarity Thank you. Very helpful. Thank you very much for this essential piece. I need 1o1 coaching, unfortunately, your service is not available in my country. Anyways, a very important eye-opener. I really enjoyed it. A thumb up to Gradcoach What is JAM? Please explain. Thank you so much for these videos. They are extremely helpful! God bless! very very wonderful… thank you for the video but i need a written example Submit a Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Print Friendly Practical Tips Inspiration Personality Self-Confidence Achieving & Setting Goals College & University Students Entrepreneurs Managing Money Budget Tips Financial Goals Saving & Spending Fitness Tips Brain Health Emotional Health Natural Health Men’s Health Relationships Midlife Blossoms Sample Thesis Proposal – Master of Social Work (MSW) April 25, 2016 On my recent blog post  Should You Go to Grad School for a Master of Social Work (MSW) , a reader asked how to write a thesis proposal for the social work application. So, here is the thesis proposal I wrote when I applied to UBC (the University of British Columbia) a few years ago. My MSW program was two years because my first undergrad degree is in Psychology and my second degree is in Education. If I had an undergrad social work degree, it would’ve only taken one year to get my MSW. If you’re worried you won’t be accepted to the university or program of your choice, read  How to Get Into Grad School – Master’s or PhD Programs . And here’s what I wrote for my grad application for UBC… Sample Thesis Proposal – Master’s of Social Work (MSW) Program Social Issue and Research Question I wish to study internalized oppression in foster children. Specifically, I’d like to explore how social workers can empower and encourage foster children to overcome negative self-beliefs, stereotypes, and misinformation to reach their full potential and create meaningful, fulfilling lives. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, children in foster care: blame themselves and feel guilty about being “taken” from their birth parents wish to return to birth parents even if they were abused feel unwanted feel helpless about multiple changes in foster parents have mixed emotions about attaching to foster parents feel insecure and uncertain about their future reluctantly acknowledge positive feelings for foster parents Self-blame, guilt, confusion, fear, insecurity, and fear can lead these kids to believe they aren’t as intelligent, capable, worthy, or “good” as their peers. How foster kids perceive themselves and their role in the world has a significant impact on how they think, behave, and treat others. Negative self-beliefs can develop even if the foster care system (or foster families, birth families, peers, etc) don’t directly “oppress” youth. Foster kids are at risk of developing destructive self-perceptions simply because of their situations – not necessarily how they’re treated. Research indicates that children in foster care tend to be more disengaged and exhibit more problem behaviours than other children. Further, they are at greater risk of dropping out or being forced out of high school (Satchwell, 2006). This is pertinent to social services, and directly affects society as a whole. Disengagement, problem behaviours, and negative self-perceptions influence the decisions and choices that foster children make. This directly and indirectly affects their families, schools, friends, and the community at large. How can social workers create conditions that help youth in the foster care system overcome internalized oppression? What can we do to help kids challenge their negative self-beliefs and reframe their situations, lives, and futures? Who is in the best position to do this – foster parents? Social workers? Counsellors? Teachers? Mentors? Self-help or support groups? Summer camps specifically for foster kids, organized and run by foster alumni? Rationale   I lived in three foster homes as a child, between bouts of living with my single mother. She suffered from severe paranoid schizophrenia and the effects of “treatments” such as electroconvulsive therapy and psychotropic medications. I grew up in a culture of mental illness, poverty, powerlessness, and the stigma of being a foster child. As a result, I held two specific beliefs about myself: 1) I wasn’t smart or “good” enough to go to university; and 2) I wasn’t lovable enough to be in a healthy relationship. When I was 11, I was matched with a Big Sister through the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization. While I can’t pinpoint the exact effect she had, I now have two undergraduate degrees and am happily married. My Big Sister changed my life – and all she had to do was show up once a week. In my work as a Mentoring Coordinator with Big Brothers, I see firsthand how mentoring changes lives. Research shows that mentoring increases self-worth, improves relationships with others, and is connected to measurable gains in school attendance and academic achievement (Satchwell, 2006). My goal is to combine my professional and personal experiences, and empower foster kids to transcend their self-limiting beliefs. Annotated Bibliography Axner, M. (2011). Healing from the effects of internalized oppression. Retrieved from The Community Toolbox https://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/sub_section_main_1172.aspx. This online resource describes discrimination versus internalized oppression, and offers practical strategies for recognizing and helping individuals overcome internalized oppression. The tools are effective, practical ways to empower people struggling with oppression. Baskin, C. (2007) Structural determinants as the cause of homelessness for aboriginal youth.  Critical Social Work , Vol 8, No 1. Retrieved online from https://www.uwindsor.ca/criticalsocialwork/structural-determinants-as-the-cause-of-homelessness-for-aboriginal-youth. A paper that describes how the cycle of oppression caused by social systems leads to the loss of self-identity in Aboriginal youths in the foster care system. This loss of self-identity leads to unhealthy development and an increased risk of homelessness. Bishop, Anne. (2002). Becoming an ally: Breaking the cycle of oppression in people. Halifax:Fernwood Publishing. Bishop’s premise is that no one form of oppression stands alone. All oppressions are interdependent, and none can be solved in isolation. She is “looking for mechanisms that cause us to reproduce oppression, generation after generation” (page 71), and encourages readers to form alliances (as opposed to “just” fighting one’s own oppression). Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York,NY: Continuum International Publishing Group. This book was first published in 1968; this is the 30 th anniversary edition. Freire describes how oppressors “dehumanize” oppressed groups, who become incapable of recognizing their own oppression. This would be a solid foundation from which to base my research on overcoming internalized oppression. Geenen, S. & Powers, L. (2007). “Tomorrow is another problem”: The experiences of youth in foster care during their transition into adulthood. Children and Youth Services Review . 29(8), 1085-1101. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.tru.ca/science/article/pii/S0190740907000680#sec3.1. This study gathered information from foster youth, case workers, foster parents, educators and other professionals on the experiences of transitioning from youth to adulthood. It revealed that youth in foster care need more opportunities to control and direct their own lives, to take responsibility and ownership for their futures. The authors also found that caring, long-term relationships are more important than accessing formal services, and that a flexible, individualized and creative approach to transition is necessary. Kirk, R. & Day, A. (2011). Increasing college access for youth aging out of foster care: Evaluation of a summer camp program for foster youth transitioning from high school to college. Children and Youth Services Review . 33(7), 1173-1180. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.tru.ca/science/article/pii/S0190740911000648#sec3.6.4.  The School of Social  Work at Michigan State University developed a campus-based learning program to help foster youth transition to college. Foster care alumni offered peer support, role modeling, mentoring and active learning sessions. This intervention increased college-related knowledge and information, enhanced perceptions of life skills, self-concept, empowerment and a sense of purpose. Krebs, B. and  Pitcoff, P. (2006) Beyond the foster care system: The future for teens .Chapel Hill, NC: Rutgers University Press. Written by the co-founders of the Youth Advocacy Center in New York City, this book offers inspiring, real-life accounts of what it’s like to live in foster homes and illustrates how the foster care system sets teens up to fail by inadequately preparing them for adult life. The authors also offer practical improvements to empower teens. Satchwell, K. (2006). Mentoring literature review. Retrieved from Government of Alberta Human Services website: https://www.child.alberta.ca/home/929.cfm Mentoring_Lit_Review_Final[1].pdf. An excellent overview of mentoring that goes beyond “just” a case for mentoring. This report includes volunteer mentor recruitment, training tips, matching considerations, best practices, and more. van Wormer, K. (2004). Confronting oppression, restoring justice: From policy analysis to social  action Alexandria, VA: CSWE Press. This is a guide that doesn’t just explain internalized oppression and social justice theory, it describes what is needed to confront oppression for human services practitioners, students, and educators on the “front lines.” After being accepted to the MSW program at UBC, I discovered that writing a thesis is a choice grad students have. I’ve decided not to write one, as I’d rather focus on getting as much practical, hands on experience as I can. Plus, I don’t plan (at this point) to go into a PhD program, so writing a thesis for my MSW isn’t necessary. If you get into a grad program, you’ll probably need to secure a practicum placement! For tips, read  Sample Field Placement Request – Master’s of Social Work at UBC . Need encouragement? Get my weekly update! Comments cancel reply. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting. Have a language expert improve your writing Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, automatically generate references for free. Knowledge Base Research process How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates Published on 30 October 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on 13 June 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 organised 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, frequently asked questions. 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 aims Show your reader why your project is interesting, original, and important. Demonstrate your comfort and familiarity with your field. Show that you understand the current state of research on your topic. Make a case for your . Demonstrate that you have carefully thought about the data, tools, and procedures necessary to conduct your research. Confirm that your project is feasible within the timeline of your program or funding deadline. 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 Prevent plagiarism, run a free check. 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 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 synthesise 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. Building a research proposal methodology ? or  ? , , or research design? , )? ? , , , )? ? To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential implications of your research for your field. Emphasise 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 Example research schedule Research phase Objectives Deadline 1. Background research and literature review 20th January 2. Research design planning and data analysis methods 13th February 3. Data collection and preparation with selected participants and code interviews 24th March 4. Data analysis of interview transcripts 22nd April 5. Writing 17th June 6. Revision final work 28th July 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? 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. Cite this Scribbr article If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator. McCombes, S. & George, T. (2023, June 13). How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved 24 June 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/the-research-process/research-proposal-explained/ Is this article helpful? Shona McCombes Other students also liked, what is a research methodology | steps & tips, what is a literature review | guide, template, & examples, how to write a results section | tips & examples. We use cookies to enhance our website for you. Proceed if you agree to this policy or learn more about it. Essay Database > Essays Samples > Essay Types > Research Proposal Example Social Work Research Proposals Samples For Students 2 samples of this type WowEssays.com paper writer service proudly presents to you a free database of Social Work Research Proposals designed to help struggling students deal with their writing challenges. In a practical sense, each Social Work Research Proposal sample presented here may be a pilot that walks you through the essential stages of the writing procedure and showcases how to develop an academic work that hits the mark. Besides, if you require more visionary help, these examples could give you a nudge toward a fresh Social Work Research Proposal topic or encourage a novice approach to a threadbare theme. In case this is not enough to quench the thirst for efficient writing help, you can request personalized assistance in the form of a model Research Proposal on Social Work crafted by a pro writer from scratch and tailored to your specific requirements. Be it a simple 2-page paper or a sophisticated, lengthy piece, our writers specialized in Social Work and related topics will deliver it within the pre-agreed period. Buy cheap essays or research papers now! Research Proposal On Stigma Against Mental Health Patients Research proposal on research methods, introduction. Don't waste your time searching for a sample. Get your research proposal done by professional writers! Just from $10/page Password recovery email has been sent to [email protected] Use your new password to log in You are not register! By clicking Register, you agree to our Terms of Service and that you have read our Privacy Policy . Now you can download documents directly to your device! Check your email! An email with your password has already been sent to you! Now you can download documents directly to your device. or Use the QR code to Save this Paper to Your Phone The sample is NOT original! Short on a deadline? Don't waste time. Get help with 11% off using code - GETWOWED No, thanks! I'm fine with missing my deadline How we work 81 Social Work Research Topics to Consider for PhD Research Browse our collection of wide-ranging research topics for social work that can make your project stand out. Great Social Work Topics to Research: Signs, Features & Examples The main thing to remember when seeking great social work research proposal topics is the need to focus on investigating actual problems. Major research areas are related to concepts, theories, and principles people use to interact with individuals and groups. Moreover, research also covers internal processes and functioning principles within social entities. The research helps to understand the problems better and find solutions. Another important thing is that social work topics to research should be associated with the practice. Theoretical knowledge can’t be completed without a practical part. The research proposal topic should bring specific evidence, functional arguments, and tangible benefits. Your social work research topics should be revolutionary for the field and align with the latest trends. What Makes Qualitative Research Topics in Social Work Outstanding Composing a proposal is essential if you need to conduct investigations in a particular field. Social work research proposals are required to outline your plan to study a specific area. In the research proposal, you should demonstrate impeccable knowledge of the field’s fundamental problems and an understanding of the research question set. It should clearly explain the social work research methods chosen and state the outcomes you expect to get. The initial step in creating a proposal is finding an appropriate social work research topics ideas. However, selecting an exciting theme among myriads of options may be challenging, even if you narrow the search area. To simplify the process and provide you with the most valuable opportunities, we’ve collected some of the best ideas to inspire you for an excellent research proposal and further work. Besides having a paper topic list, you may need an example of social work research proposal to complete the task successfully. This sample shows how the text is structured and how the information is distributed among all parts. Just look at how the research question is formulated here and how the author manages it to add more value to their work. Social Work Research Topics Ideas to Inspire You Developing worthy scholarly research topics in social work is usually the hardest, especially if people must do it themselves. Without proper experience, it is sometimes difficult to assess the manageability of the study, the relevance, and the availability of supporting materials. To make the task easier, we present you with research topics for social work proposals that will inspire you and give you an idea of what to write a paper about. Preparing Educators for Multiple Settings Evaluation of the Impact of Innovation on Social Workers’ Performance Support Services for Families in Need Peer Service Providers in Addressing Reproductive Health The Major Problems Encountered by Social Workers During Work The Best Inclusive Practices on Education for People with ASD The Impact of Gender Diversity in Schools How Secondary Trauma Affects Adults Importance of Religion in Reducing Stereotypes The Impact of Death on the Collective Well-Being of the Family How Does Evidence-Based Practice Influence Life-Long Learning? How Homelessness Impacts People’s Psyche The Best Social Inclusion Strategies for War Victims Strategies to Support Single Parents The Effect and Consequences of Mis- and Undiagnosed Mental Illnesses The Cultural Importance of Generation Gap Significance of Family Support as a Possible Way of Alcohol Recovery The Impact of Alcohol on the Psychology of a Person Proper Ways to Breed Love in Foster Care Most of the ideas in this social work research topics list have a solid research base that you can use to conduct a detailed literature review and develop your own arguments. Reinventing the wheel is good practice, but the ability to find a worthwhile solution by examining an exciting question from a different perspective is just as good. Controversial Social Work Research Topics List As with different fields and areas, many paper topics relate to problems, situations, and cases that are worth discussing but often glossed over. Violence, trauma, and stigmatization are just a few examples of such issues that would seem better suited for psychology research proposals . However, these issues are no less important to consider in the social work context. Exploration of the Effect of Poverty on Children’s Mental Health The Impact of Student Loans on Learners Motivation and Well-Being Helping Sexually Exploited Children The Common Types of Elder Abuse and Ways to Prevent Them The Major Stigma Associated With People Who Have Depression Therapy and Support Groups for Welfare Workers Coping With Imprisonment Stigma Coping Strategies of Men During Violence at Home Social Inclusion Measures for War Veterans The Essence of Welfare Work Sector Diversity What Are Disability and the Stigma Enveloping It? Identifying the Practices Considered Neglecting Children The Connection Between Divorce and the Health and Lifestyle of Children Psychological Violence and Damages It Causes Ways to Identify Trauma in the Workplace Ways to Improve Living Standards in Foster Homes Counteracting Bullying Aimed At Dyslexic Children Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Community Wellbeing Effects of Misdiagnosis of Mental Illness How Home Violence Impacts Children Challenges Faced by Minority Children at Their Foster Homes Social Problems of ASD Children Research of Social Reacts to Euthanasia Undiagnosed Depression and How Family Exacerbates It Ways to Control Addiction at Various Stages Psychological Impacts of Child Trafficking Sustainability of Wellness Therapy Teenage Pregnancy Impact on Teenage Mothers Negative Impact of Conversion Therapy Negatively on the LGBTQ+ Community Spousal Violence and How to Address It Research Topics for Social Work Students Who Want to Go Far What do you want to achieve with your social work research proposal? Is it a common assignment you just need to handle, or will this project mark the beginning of your path to effectively helping people? Think about this when selecting a research proposal sociology topic, and consider choosing something that resonates with you personally. Risks of Drug Abuse Among Adolescents From Disadvantaged Families Negative Effects of Abusive Parenting Investigation and Prevention Causes of Child Abuse in Orphanages How Does Domestic Violence Affect a Family The Strategies Put in Place to Encourage Women to Report GBV A Study of Dealing With Dyslexia as an Adolescent Trafficking: The Impacts of It on the Social Well-Being of a Society Vulnerability to Drugs and Ways to Help Drug Addicts Clinical Depression and Undiagnosed Depression Therapy for Underrepresented Groups and Its Importance in Reducing Discrimination The Dangers of Confinement and Why It Should Be Looked Into The Challenges of Hurricanes in Low-Income Neighborhoods Ways for PTSD Patients to Receive Inclusive Support Gender Roles and Cultural Beliefs and Their Impact on Marriages The Practice of Resilience Amongst Social Workers The Protest Against Police Brutality Sponsorship Impact on the Lives of Recovering Addicts The Impacts of Constant Mobility on the Lives of Orphaned Toddlers The Ways Physical Abuse Affects Spousal Intimacy An Importance of Encouraging More Flexible Social Structures for Disabled People The Greatest Risk of Fetal Alcohol Exposure Transition to Social Work From Previous Employment The Global Poverty of Modern Human Services The Best Way to Establish a High School Service-Learning Program How Mass Media Affects Educational Development Factors Leading To Children’s Neglection in Society The Effect of Mass Media on Childhood Socialization The Best Autism Care Practices The Generation Gap and Effect on Culture How Family Cruelty Impacts Lives Factors Contributing to Family Violence To find more paper topic ideas, check out the social work research topics pdf and pick something to inspire yourself. Download Here More Social Science Research Proposal Ideas! What else does the choice of research topics for social work students affect? Data Collection and Analysis Ensure your chosen proposal topic has enough materials to create a solid theoretical framework. Also, it often influences research methodology. For example, by selecting a qualitative research topic in social work, you should be prepared to organize focus groups, develop questionnaires, etc. The Whole Work Process A social work research proposal is just a plan for your work during the next several years. If you choose a paper topic that doesn’t interest you, you risk burnout and failing to earn the desired degree. The Outcome and Research Success Most research topics in social work are related to significant problems humanity faces. Thus, your proposal ideas should be practicable and relevant. They also should have measurable outcomes and lead to improvements in your field. Let Experts Help with Social Work Research Proposals Preparation The selection of research topics social work is only a part of the process. Next, you will need to collect and analyze available materials, design your own research, and cope with it, which may not be easy. Luckily, our seasoned proposal writing experts can help you not only with great inspirational ideas but also with their realization in the paper. No matter how complex and comprehensive your qualitative research topics in social work are, there are field-related PhD researchers to support you. Just provide us with the needed requirements and research materials, if any, and enjoy your well-written proposal paper delivered soon! Why wait any longer? Get full-service assistance with social work research paper topics from PhD experts in your field! Upload Files Thank you for your request! We will get in touch with you shortly! Please, try one more time. University Home Library Home SOPHIA Home Home > MSW > MSW_PAPERS Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers Clinical research papers from 2019 2019. Acculturation and Depression among Older U.S. Immigrants: A Systematic Review , Sunghwan Cho Relationship as an Energetic Exchange: A Key Theory for the Nurtured Heart Approach , Inga Eanes Birth and Pregnancy Termination Rates in The United States Since Perinatal Hospice Law Establishment , Chelsea Janey Why Do Some Single Mothers Struggle More Than Others? , Tania Rhiger The Bond We Share: Sibling Relationships Within Severe Mental Illness Through the Lens of Autoethnographic Research , Laura Rydberg Clinical Research Papers from 2018 2018 Healing the Mind and Body: Practitioner Perspectives on Integrating Cognitive and Somatic Approaches in Psychotherapy with Refugees, Asylees, and Asylum Seekers , Amanda Ament-Lemke Professional Perceptions of Youth Homelessness and Strengths Developed , Joelle Bellows Sleep Deprivation and the Health of Firefighters , Bridget Bender Effective Social Work Practice with Military, Veterans, and their Families , Katherine Boyer Promoting Resilience and Preventing Sexual Offenses in Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review , Cassie DeGraw Therapist, Know Thyself: Self-Reflective Practice through Autoethnography , Nikki DiVirgilio Foster Care and Education: Exploring the Success of Interventions Aimed to Improve Academic Achievement of Foster Children , Olivia Erickson Early Interventions: Preventing at-risk youth from the path of Sexual Exploitation: A Systematic Review , Rahma Farah Treatment Barriers in Mental Health: Perspectives of Using Mobile Technology , Ryan Goman “Make ’em Laugh” The Interaction of Humor in the Therapeutic Treatment of Trauma: A Narrative Review , Katherine Goodman The Role of Somatic Psychotherapy in Treating First Responders: Providers’ Perspectives , Maggie Graham Utilization of Social Media in Strengthening Communication in Long Distance Relationships , Lexie Gutzmann Medical Social Workers’ Best Practices in Supporting Autonomy at End of Life , Morgan Hanley Women’s Prisons and Substance Abuse Treatment: A Systematic Review of Shame Interventions , Jamie Herman Trauma-Informed Care For Youth In Foster Care , Jordyn Hubin Integrating Trauma Informed Care into the Treatment of Adult Male Sex Offenders: A Systematic Review , Erica Janssen Challenges and Opportunities in Accessing Geriatric Mental Health Services in Rural Minnesota , Kassara Kneeland Professional Opinions of Effective Interventions for Adults with Psychotic Disorders Who Experienced Childhood Trauma , Jennifer Metzger Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Co-housing Options for Older Adults to Age in Place , Kasey Meyer Using an Integrative Psychotherapeutic Approach to Help Adults Cope with Chronic Pain , Bethany Miletich Examining Services Effective at Preventing Domestic Homicide: Interviewing Relevant Stakeholders about Their Perceptions Regarding Their Role in Reducing the Recurrence of Domestic Violence , Katlin Morse Secure Attachment Without Bars: Alternatives to Incarceration and Clinical Interventions to Treat the Mother-Infant Relationship , Krista Murphy Trauma-Informed Care: Training and Implementation in the Foster Care System , Danielle Norgren The Impacts of Supervision on Social Workers Who Experience Client Suicidal Behavior , Chelse Paulzine The Impact of Minnesota Warriors Hockey on Post-Military Service Reintegration: A Pilot Study , Andrew Qualy Non-pharmacological Interventions in Residents with Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia , Kelli Ray Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples: A Treatment for Depression and Anxiety , Courtney Reinitz Chemical Dependence Harm Reduction: A Needed Application for Social Workers , Josie C. Schmitz Exploring Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Behavioral Symptoms of Dementia: A Social Work Perspective , Ashley Schoonover Is Marketing Messing with Your Clients’ Heads? Brands, Identity, and Clinical Practice , Paul Schuster A Systematic Review: Examination of Yoga-Based Interventions to Determine their Benefits and Effectiveness in Treating PTSD in Women , Jessica Skaare Rural Service Providers’ Perceptions of Cultural Responsiveness to LGBT Older Adults , Lisa Twomey Understanding the practitioner’s role in the therapeutic setting: working with youth that identify as Black or African American and LGBT , Katie L. Ubl The Effects of Animal-Assisted Therapy in Older Adults with Dementia , Alison Waid Higgins Impacts of and Alternatives to Solitary Confinement in Adult Correctional Facilities , Sarah Zyvoloski Clinical Research Papers from 2017 2017 Mapping Social Justice: A Case Study of a School of Social Work Student-Led Social Justice Initiative , Lauren Abdill Evaluating Child Maltreatment Prevention Programs & Services: A Qualitative Study , Laura Abrass “I’m Tough, It’s Fine”: Prohibiting Restrictive Procedures and Seclusion in Educational Settings , Kaitlin Adams Developmental Impact of Inclusion Classrooms on Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review , Emily E. Aller Involuntary Civil Commitment and Sobriety , Ana Anderson A Case Study of Veteran Identity as a Female , Kimberly Anderson Racial Differences in Veteran Service Connection Disability , Jonathan Arnold A Qualitative Investigation of Parental Experiences with Play Therapy , Kaitlin Bach Cognitive Behavior Therapy with Adults with Intellectual Disabilities: A Systematic Review , Crystal Barrera Systematic Review of High School Dropout Prevention Programs , Dayne Bartlett Identity and Belonging: Documentation Status and Mexican-origin children: A Systematic Review , Alicia Bauers Removing Stigma and Reducing Anxiety: Social Work Professionals Integrating Essential Oils in Mental Healthcare Services with African American and Native American Clients , Kamara Bauman What Can We Learn from Death and Dying? One Man’s Experience , Brooke K. Benson Trauma in schools: Identifying and working with students who have experienced trauma , Amanda E. Berg Unintended Rehabilitation: A Comparative Analysis of Prison Animal Programs , Mielissa Beseres Understanding the Mental Health Impacts of Non-Kinship vs. Kinship Placements , Lena Bessas Social Worker Perceptions on Education for Generalist and Specialist Roles , Jamie Blackledge Strategies and Outcomes in Working with Adolescents Diagnosed with Conduct Disorder , Elisabeth A. Boegeman Domestic Violence: How to Treat the Unseen Victims , Sarah Callahan Birth Parents: Blogging The Emotional Journey Through Adoption , Kayla L. Christensen Factors that Increase Successful Parenting Skills in Adult Survivors of Childhood Trauma, Neglect, and Abuse: A Systematic Review , Victoria A. Christian Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Veterans Experiencing Insomnia: A Systematic Review , Dustin Cobb Posttraumatic Growth in United States Military Veterans , Angela Cox Examining Post-Adoption Services: What Adoptive Families Need for Beneficial Outcomes , Lindsey Crawford Addressing Needs Among Students Affected by Domestic Violence: Social Workers’ Perspectives , Kiah Dahlquist Making & Sustaining Change from Psychotherapy: A Mixed Method Study , Kelsi Dankey, Heather Karson, Arielle R. Yahnke, Sara Lemon, Tricia Downing, Danae Hoffman, and Natia Wilcek What is the Impact of Mental Health Courts? A Systematic Literature Review , Rachel Dean Best Practices for Engaging Birth Mothers in Post-Adoptive Grief Work , Melanie DeJong Evaluating the Effectiveness of Vocational Rehabilitation in Economic Outcomes for Adults with Disabilities , Susanne Desmond Bicycles and Youth: Impacts , Elizabeth Drews Lessons for Social Workers: A Review of the Latino/a Undocumented Immigrant Experience , Katie J. Ducklow Aging Americans: Family Factors and Satisfaction with Life and Aging , Miranda Eastham Intervention with Intimate Partner Violence: Application of Attachment and Personality Disorders , MaryBeth Ehlert Transgenerational Transmission of Caregiver Behaviors Promoting Secure Attachments in American Indian Communities , Bryan Ellingson Interventions to Alleviate the Psychosocial Needs of Hospice Family Caregivers: A Systematic Review , Nicole Engen Spiritually Integrated Care for Veteran Trauma Survivors: A Quantitative Analysis , Krystle Englund Guardian ad Litem Perceptions of Child Protection , Carla Evans Factors Contributing to Success in Treatment for Individuals with a Dual Diagnosis , Logan Evenson Systematic Review: Considerations for Women with Co-occurring Substance Use Disorder and PTSD , Brittany Feller Mindfulness Practice with Children who have Experienced Trauma , Margaret Fischer Officer-Involved Homicides of Unarmed Black Males: Perceptions of the African American Community , Sarah Fox Intimacy after Sexual Trauma: Clinical Perspectives , Melissa Franckowiak Interventions that Support Caregivers of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review , Melissa Franzen Gaps in Mental Health Services in the Juvenile Justice System as Identified by Clinical Social Workers , Heather Fretty Family Functioning and Secondary Traumatic Stress in Military Families: A Qualitative Study , Karlie Gams Disability Accommodations in Postsecondary Education A Systematic Review , Kaitlyn Gartner Perceptions of Diagnosing and Treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Complex Trauma in Schools , Megan Gauer-Kloos Clinician Support to Caregivers of Children with a Mental Health Disorder , Lauren Gavin Effects of Yoga and Mindfulness-Based Practices on Stress and Anxiety in Children and Adolescents , Amanda Geldert Intervention effectiveness following gender-based violence and forced migration: A critical systematic literature review and synthesis of qualitative studies from the voice of the client , Malory Giraldo Identifying Protective Factors for Adult Children of Alcoholics , Jessica Goeke "Si No Estuviera Conmigo, Yo Seria Muda en Este País": A Systematic Literature Review of Language Brokering Among Latinx Youth , Manuela Gonzalez Postpartum Depression and Opinions on Screening , Jana Gorman Identifying and Mitigating Caregiver Burnout: The Role of Adult Day Social Workers , Annika Grafstrom Work and Quality of Life for Individuals with SMI: A Systematic Review , Scott Grandt Analysis of Implementing Trauma Informed Programs in Grade Schools , Lilli Gray Making it Right in the End: Conflict on the Hospice Interdisciplinary Team , Sarah Green Supports and Barriers Experienced by Female Same-Sex Couples When Planning For Life as They Age , Johanna Guerkink Sacred Shame: Integrating Spirituality and Sexuality , Alyssa J. Haggerty Welfare Reform and Quality of Life: A Systematic Review , Brianna Heilman Page 1 of 9 Advanced Search Notify me via email or RSS Collections Disciplines Author Corner Home | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement Privacy Copyright 187 IMAGES Social Work Research Proposal Example 11 Research Proposal Examples to Make a Great Paper 11 Research Proposal Examples to Make a Great Paper Social Work Research Proposal Example Social Work Research Proposal Example 11 Research Proposal Examples to Make a Great Paper VIDEO social work is what social workers do #music #love Vlog-3| social work research| @matinavlogs @ravindra_bharti_official @YouTube WRITING THE INTRODUCTION OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL||Chapter 1 Social Work Research and Statistics Differences Between Social Research and Social Work Research Social Work Research: Qualitative Data Analysis (Chapter 20) COMMENTS PDF Sample Research Proposals Sample Research Proposals. You will find here two examples of proposals for postgraduate research from the Department of Social Policy and Criminology. They both give good indication of the sorts of things that need to be included. The first, on fathering after divorce or separation, represents first thoughts on the proposed topic, but sets out ... 17 Research Proposal Examples (2024) 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 ... 100 Social Work Research Topics and Tips on Choosing One 50 Controversial Research Topics. Group therapy vs individual therapy for increasing autistic children adaptability. Impact on parents having children with autism spectrum disorder. Role play vs group discussion efficiency in increasing knowledge regarding drug abuse among high-school students. Addressing the stigma associated with depression. Writing a Research Proposal The goal of a research proposal is to present and justify the need to study a research problem and to present the practical ways in which the proposed study should be conducted. ... research proposals are generally organized the same way throughout most social science disciplines. Proposals vary between ten and twenty-five pages in length ... 2.4: The Body of the Research Proposal Drawing on guidelines developed in the UBC graduate guide to writing proposals (Petrina, 2009), we highlight eight steps for constructing an effective research proposal: Presenting the topic. Literature Review. Identifying the Gap. Research Questions that addresses the Gap. Methods to address the research questions. Writing a Research Proposal The design elements and procedures for conducting research are governed by standards of the predominant discipline in which the problem resides, therefore, the guidelines for research proposals are more exacting and less formal than a general project proposal. Research proposals contain extensive literature reviews. How to Write a Research Proposal Research proposal examples. 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". PDF Writing a Research Proposal in the Social Sciences Like any other genre of writing, a good research proposal takes time, multiple drafts, and a clear understanding of the task at hand. The purpose of a research proposal is a) to persuade your reader of the value of your research. question, b) to show you have a clear idea of where your research sits in existing knowledge, and c) to demonstrate ... Writing your proposal Make sure that your research idea, question or problem is very clearly stated and well-grounded in academic research. Make sure that your proposal is well focused and conforms exactly to the submission requirements described here. Poorly specified, jargon-filled or rambling proposals will not convince us that you have a clear idea of what you ... Writing a Research Proposal 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 PDF A Sample Qualitative Dissertation Proposal Microsoft Word - Proposal-QUAL-Morales.doc. A Sample Qualitative Dissertation Proposal. Prepared by. Alejandro Morales. NOTE: This proposal is included in the ancillary materials of Research Design with permission of the author. LANGUAGE BROKERING IN MEXICAN IMMIGRANT FAMILIES LIVING IN. How to write a Research Proposal: Explained with Examples The overview, also known as abstract and/or introduction, is the first section that you write for your proposal. Your overview should be a single paragraph that explains to the reader what your whole research will be about. In a nutshell, you will use your abstract to present all the arguments that you will be taking in detail in your thesis or ... Social Work Theses, Projects, and Dissertations what is the readiness of social work students to work with autistic individuals?, ignacio aguilar pelaez. pdf. examining experiences among social workers working with parents who suffer from substance use disorder, alicia alvarado and eleno zepeda. pdf. covid-19, social isolation, and msw students' mental health, cassandra barajas. pdf PDF Writing Research Proposals for Social Sciences and Humanities in a Table 7-1 Breakdown of the research proposal per semester 136 Table 7-2 Main assessment criteria 141 Figures Figure 3-1 Link between topic, question and conceptual significance 40 Figure 3-2 Logical sequence of a research proposal based on a research question 53 Figure 3-3 Logical sequence of a research proposal based on a What Is A Research Proposal? Examples + Template The purpose of the research proposal (its job, so to speak) is to convince your research supervisor, committee or university that your research is suitable (for the requirements of the degree program) and manageable (given the time and resource constraints you will face). The most important word here is "convince" - in other words, your ... PDF SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK MCGILL UNIVERSITY PhD RESEARCH PROPOSAL GUIDELINES ng your submission for the School of Social Work at McGill University. A "PhD Research Proposal" should be clear and concisely written and be n. longer than 2 single-spaced pages (12-point font, with 1 inch margins). The proposed program of study should include the following key components: i) research question; ii) a statement of the ... How to Write a Research Proposal in 2024: Structure, Examples & Common A quality example of a research proposal shows one's above-average analytical skills, including the ability to coherently synthesize ideas and integrate lateral and vertical thinking. Communication skills. The proposal also demonstrates your proficiency to communicate your thoughts in concise and precise language. Sample Thesis Proposal April 25, 2016. On my recent blog post Should You Go to Grad School for a Master of Social Work (MSW), a reader asked how to write a thesis proposal for the social work application. So, here is the thesis proposal I wrote when I applied to UBC (the University of British Columbia) a few years ago. My MSW program was two years because my first ... How to Write a Research Proposal Research proposal examples. 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'. Social Work Research Proposal Examples That Really Inspire 2 samples of this type. WowEssays.com paper writer service proudly presents to you a free database of Social Work Research Proposals designed to help struggling students deal with their writing challenges. In a practical sense, each Social Work Research Proposal sample presented here may be a pilot that walks you through the essential stages of ... 81 Exciting Social Work Research Topics to Choose From Great Social Work Topics to Research: Signs, Features & Examples. The main thing to remember when seeking great social work research proposal topics is the need to focus on investigating actual problems. Major research areas are related to concepts, theories, and principles people use to interact with individuals and groups. Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers Clinical Research Papers from 2018. Healing the Mind and Body: Practitioner Perspectives on Integrating Cognitive and Somatic Approaches in Psychotherapy with Refugees, Asylees, and Asylum Seekers, Amanda Ament-Lemke. Professional Perceptions of Youth Homelessness and Strengths Developed, Joelle Bellows. essay homework paper phd project resume review study thesis