Have a language expert improve your writing
Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.
- Knowledge Base
- Starting the research process
- 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 January 3, 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, 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
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: “Making Healthy Connections: Mentoring, Monitoring and Measurement”
- Example research proposal #3: “Medical Students as Mediators of Change in Tobacco Use”
What can proofreading do for your paper?
Scribbr editors not only correct grammar and spelling mistakes, but also strengthen your writing by making sure your paper is free of vague language, redundant words, and awkward phrasing.
See editing example
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 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?
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.
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 Citation Generator.
McCombes, S. & George, T. (2023, January 03). How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-proposal/
Is this article helpful?
Shona McCombes
Other students also liked, how to write a problem statement | guide & examples, writing strong research questions | criteria & examples, how to write a literature review | guide, examples, & templates, what is your plagiarism score.
Free Download 📥
Research proposal template.
Starting out on your dissertation or thesis proposal and not sure how to structure it, or how to craft a smooth-flowing document? Our free research proposal template will help you fast-track your writing and improve your chances of a speedy approval.
What’s Included In The Proposal Template
Grad Coach’s free dissertation/thesis proposal template covers the core essential ingredients for a strong proposal. It includes clear explanations of what you need to address in each section, as well as straightforward examples and links to further resources.
The research proposal template covers the following core elements:
- Introduction & background (including the research problem)
- Literature review
- Research design / methodology
- Project plan , resource requirements and risk management
The cleanly-formatted Word document is fully editable , so you can use it for your proposal, copy over the contents to a fresh document, or convert to LaTeX.
PS – you can also download our dissertation/thesis chapter templates here .
- How To Write A Research Proposal
The template provides step-by-step guidance for each section of your research proposal, but if you’d like to learn more about how to write up a high-quality research proposal for your dissertation or thesis, check out the rest of our free proposal-related resources:
- Research Proposal 101
- How To Find A Research Topic
- How To Find A Research Gap
- Developing Your Golden Thread
- 8 Common Proposal Writing Mistakes
If you’d prefer 1-on-1 support with your research proposal, have a look at our private coaching service , where we hold your hand through the research process, step by step.
Psst… there’s more (for free)
This post is part of our research writing mini-course, which covers everything you need to get started with your dissertation, thesis or research project.
You Might Also Like:
25 Comments
Very interesting and guiding coach. Am very attracted by their skill of coaching
Wow! very impressive and informative, I can see clearly now and I think I am ready to start.
Guided points mentioned in the article. It covers more of what is needed for research papers.
Amazing content. Easy to understand, clear, precise and to the point. Research was a scary topic for me but after watching these videos, my confidence level has certainly increased.
Thank you very useful guiding will recommend to my friends
nice and easy to understand, thank you
Thanks, Toni. Best of luck with your research proposal.
Thank you so mauch for helping me by giving so many informato n
Thanks too much for your help.
If only universities explained it so simple. Thank You, sending love from South Africa
I so much appreciate your help, very useful.
Fantastic, I like it so much
Clear and simple. Thanks, coach!
The information is found useful thank you
Thank so much ! It is very useful…
I need help writing my research proposal
I need help regarding this
I need help to start writing my research proposal
For your help. I wish I could help in the future
Even though I haven’t started writing my dissertation, the understanding I have gathered from grad coach is enormous and definitely will make it so easy for me when I start to work on it.
thank so much I have benefit alot
Thank you so much for this informative piece. I feel ready to start writing my PhD proposal now. It is good information if universities explain it this simple.
I need help on how to structure my advance research proposal portfolio.
What is the difference between article writing for PhD dissertation
I’m just starting to watch the videos. The first video has been super helpful.
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
MS Word Cover Page Templates
Download, personalize & print, proposal cover pages.
Posted By: admin 23/04/2019
A cover page also referred to as the title page, is the first page of a document that introduces the document to the reader. It has the basic information regarding the content of the document and may become a source of interest created for the reader.
A proposal is a document that is prepared to be presented to a client in order to convince the client about signing the deal. The cover page of a proposal holds great significance; where the proposal serves as a marketing tool for the company, the cover page, if attractive enough, can make a client interested in knowing about the proposal details and the information contained in the proposal report.
When the proposal is being prepared, enough attention should be given to its cover page as well as it is, usually, the first thing that is glanced at by the client and may or may not convince the client about the worth of the proposal. Some of the considerations are:
- The proposal cover page should be formal, professional and should match the image of the company.
- If any colors, pictures or different fonts are being used, they should be attractive and catchy but should not be a mismatch to the company’s image and the proposal’s purpose.
- The proposal cover page should have the required information while avoiding information overload.
- A proposal cover page needs to include the information that is required by the company as well as the client.
- The added information on the cover page needs to be synchronized with the type, purpose, and scope of the proposal.
Although the information that is included on a proposal cover page is dependent on many factors, such as company requirements, client needs, purpose and type of the proposal, etc., the information that is generally included on all the proposal cover pages are:
- Company name
- Company logo and slogan/tag line
- Any other picture, if wanted
- Company address
- Company’s contact details and/or website
- Proposal title
- Few points about experience, skills or competitive edge of the company
- Client name and details
- Submission date
- A concise summary of the report
There are many templates available on this website as well as in the programs, such as Microsoft Word, for designing the proposal cover pages. These templates can easily be customized and modified as per the requirements. At the same time, some companies prefer designing their own proposal cover pages, rather than opting for a template design. Where using the templates can save time and effort, designing from scratch may create a cover page that is distinct and one of its sort.
Irrespective of the option opted for by the company preparing the proposal, the template or design from scratch, if the proposal cover page serves its purpose which is about generating the interest of the client toward the proposal details and the complete report, it means that the cover page has been designed appropriately.
See the list below of many proposal templates designed by our team.
Be the first to comment on "Proposal Cover Pages"
Leave a comment cancel reply.
Your email address will not be published.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Thesis format (10 pages)
This thesis format template contains a title page, abstract, table of contents, list of figures, acknowledgments, glossary, chapter, bibliography, index, and footnote pages. This thesis template covers 10 pages of preformatted thesis examples to create a professional format for a thesis paper.
More templates like this
Find inspiration for your next project with thousands of ideas to choose from
Address books
All holidays
Animation and 3D
Announcements
Back to school
Bids and quotes
Blank and general
Business cards
Business plans
Certificates
College tools
Congratulations
Family activities
Financial management
Food and nutrition
Fun and games
Health and fitness
Home learning
Infographics
Inventories
Invitations
Itineraries
Newsletters
Papers and reports
Photo albums
Planners and trackers
Presentations
Profit and loss
Resumes and cover letters
Social media
10+ Free Cover Page Templates for Research Papers in MS Word – (Pro Formats)
#1 – general design, #2 – for analytical research paper, #3 – format for argumentative research paper, #4 – best for case and effect research, #5 – compare and contrast format, #6 – design for definition research paper, #7 – experimental research paper design, #8 – interpretative research paper format, #9 – best format for problem/solution research paper, #10 – template for survey research paper.
- Name of student
- Name of university
- The title of research done
- Name of professor
- Due date of the paper.
Essentials of a research cover paper
Importance of good research paper cover page.
← Previous Article
Next Article →
You may also like
- Doctor Prescription Pad Formats
- Printable ID Cards
- Creative Resume Formats for Freshers
- Modern Resume Templates
- Best Cover Page Formats
- Printable Report Cards
- Business Proposal Templates
- 22 Raffle Ticket Template
- 24 Certificate Templates
Search the database of 10,000+ templates, designs & formats for Microsoft Office.
- 15+ FREE Asset Purchase Agreement Templates to Simplify Your Business Deals
- Transform Your Volunteer Resume with Our FREE Professional Templates
- 9+ FREE Spa Brochure Templates Designed to Ignite Your Marketing Strategy
- 11+ FREE Fundraiser Ticket Templates – Download and Customize for Your Next Event
- 13+ FREE Organizational Chart Templates
- Free Obituary Card Templates to Express your Emotions
- 10+ FREE Health & Medical History Form Templates – Word | PDF
- Free Ready-to-Use Behaviour & Reward Chart Templates – Editable and Printable
- 8+ Best Free Time Log Sheet Templates – Editable and Printable
- 5+ FREE Meeting Invitation Templates for any Business
- 6+ FREE Cover Page Templates & Formats for Any Type of Project
- 6+ FREE Student ID Card Design Templates
- Certificates
- Cover Pages
- Educational
- Event Templates
- Invoices & Receipts
- Letterheads
- Office Related
- Personal Use
- 137+ Professional Reports – MS Word & Excel
- 44+ Printable & Editable ID Card Designs
- 59+ Proposal Formats
- 31+ Best Flyer Designs & Formats
- 100+ Cover Page Templates
- 22+ Free Letterhead Designs and Formats
- 24+ Free Resume Designs & for Freshers and Professionals
- 90+ Printable Certificate Templates
- 55+ Quotations & Invoices
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
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: Title page; Introduction; Literature review; Research design; Reference list
The research proposal template covers the following core elements: Introduction & background (including the research problem) The cleanly-formatted Word document is fully editable, so you can use it for your proposal, copy over the contents to a fresh document, or convert to LaTeX.
There are many templates available on this website as well as in the programs, such as Microsoft Word, for designing the proposal cover pages. These templates can easily be customized and modified as per the requirements. At the same time, some companies prefer designing their own proposal cover pages, rather than opting for a template design.
This thesis format template contains a title page, abstract, table of contents, list of figures, acknowledgments, glossary, chapter, bibliography, index, and footnote pages. This thesis template covers 10 pages of preformatted thesis examples to create a professional format for a thesis paper.
10+ Free Cover Page Templates for Research Papers in MS Word – (Pro Formats) On this page: you can find 10 professionally designed, yet free, Cover Page Designs and formats specially designed for Research Papers. All of these cover pages are designed in Microsoft Word with high-quality vector graphics and shapes that give you the best and ...
Research Proposal Sample Template download Research Proposal Sample Template download Research Proposal Template 01 Research Proposal Template 02 Research Proposal Template 03 Research Proposal Template 04 Research Proposal Template 05 Research Proposal Template 06 Things to Keep in Mind