research proposal definition

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What is a research proposal?

A research proposal is a type of text which maps out a proposed central research problem or question and a suggested approach to its investigation.

In many universities, including RMIT, the research proposal is a formal requirement. It is central to achieving your first milestone: your Confirmation of Candidature. The research proposal is useful for both you and the University: it gives you the opportunity to get valuable feedback about your intended research aims, objectives and design. It also confirms that your proposed research is worth doing, which puts you on track for a successful candidature supported by your School and the University.

Although there may be specific School or disciplinary requirements that you need to be aware of, all research proposals address the following central themes:

what   you propose to research
why   the topic needs to be researched
how  you plan to research it.

Purpose and audience

Before venturing into writing a research purposal, it is important to think about the purpose and audience of this type of text. Spend a moment or two to reflect on what these might be.

What do you think is the purpose of your research proposal and who is your audience?

The purpose of your research proposal is:

1. To allow experienced researchers (your supervisors and their peers) to assess whether

the research question or problem is viable (that is, answers or solutions are possible)
the research is worth doing in terms of its contribution to the field of study and benefits to stakeholders
the scope is appropriate to the degree (Masters or PhD)
you’ve understood the relevant key literature and identified the gap for your research
you’ve chosen an appropriate methodological approach.

2. To help you clarify and focus on what you want to do, why you want to do it, and how you’ll do it. The research proposal helps you position yourself as a researcher in your field. It will also allow you to:

systematically think through your proposed research, argue for its significance and identify the scope
show a critical understanding of the scholarly field around your proposed research
show the gap in the literature that your research will address
justify your proposed research design
identify all tasks that need to be done through a realistic timetable
anticipate potential problems
hone organisational skills that you will need for your research
become familiar with relevant search engines and databases
develop skills in research writing.

The main audience for your research proposal is your reviewers. Universities usually assign a panel of reviewers to which you need to submit your research proposal. Often this is within the first year of study for PhD candidates, and within the first six months for Masters by Research candidates.

Your reviewers may have a strong disciplinary understanding of the area of your proposed research, but depending on your specialisation, they may not. It is therefore important to create a clear context, rationale and framework for your proposed research. Limit jargon and specialist terminology so that non-specialists can comprehend it. You need to convince the reviewers that your proposed research is worth doing and that you will be able to effectively ‘interrogate’ your research questions or address the research problems through your chosen research design.

Your review panel will expect you to demonstrate:

a clearly defined and feasible research project
a clearly explained rationale for your research
evidence that your research will make an original contribution through a critical review of the literature
written skills appropriate to graduate research study.

Research and Writing Skills for Academic and Graduate Researchers Copyright © 2022 by RMIT University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.