Research Proposal Outline: Tracing the major points of a well-written research proposal

A research proposal is a detailed blueprint for a study you plan to do, which sources you plan to review, and how your results will help the field of study. This is a brief outline of what is required in a successful research proposal. It is by no means an exhaustive list of requirements, but rather an overview of the most important considerations to have in mind when finalizing your proposal. 

Overview of the Research

Research proposals are meant to be concise and to the point. They should outline the research objectives and the data to be analyzed, as well as include recommendations for where to obtain the necessary materials and information, and how to conduct the study. The research outline is meant to provide a general overview of the aims and content of the proposed study. It is vital to include a description of the type of research you plan to do, as well as the quantity and quality of the data to be collected.

Who can benefit from the proposed study?

Before taking on the preliminary process to prepare your research proposal, as a student in the final year of your masters or as a PhD research student you must find the crucial answer to the question of the contribution of knowledge that your research will impart to the field of study or domain under which you plan to pursue your research. This will help you direct your energy and resources into figuring out the essential subsets that are required to be studied and also find innovative topics and help with your ideation process prior to choosing a research topic. 

What is the aim and objectives of the proposed study?

The aim of any research proposal should be as descriptive as possible. The idea is to give the reader a general idea of what the research will entail and what the proposed findings will be. Sometimes researchers will elaborate on the aim of their project in order to give it a more accurate description. A good example of this can be: “To measure, understand and improve the mental health of students in Ghana using a qualitative approach”, which point out what you hope to accomplish and your desired outcomes from the research and the researcher can further expand in a few lines what the specifics of the study will work on. The objectives detail what your research is trying to achieve and explain why you are pursuing it. 

The major elements

The research proposal will universally contain certain common elements which form the outline of your synopsis, the best approach is always to consider what your university has prescribed to be integrated in the proposal. Nonetheless, these are essential:

• Title page
• Introduction
• Literature review
• The research questions
• Research methodology
• Reference list

The implications and limitations with a schedule to work 

Depending upon the aims and objectives of your study, you should also discuss how your anticipated findings may impact future research. The contribution of your study should be clearly highlighted in terms of its aim to refine, revise, or extend existing knowledge in the area of your study. The limitations and delimitations of the study provide a reasonable take on the boundaries under which the study is to be performed and what the researcher cannot do. 

Concluding remarks

Your research proposal should outline the general approach, methodology and the limitations of your research. At a minimum, you should include an outline of the research design, the aims of the research, the sources you plan to use to acquire the data and how the data will be analyzed. Beyond that, you should be consistent with your approach. You should never deviate from the research outline provided in your proposal. Your research proposal is an important part of the research process. It gives you valuable information to include in your application to help you get the full points across in your submission. We hope that this outline of the key considerations for a successful research proposal has been helpful. If you are still unsure how to start your proposal check out our detailed consultation on preparing a research proposal.