How to Write a Proposal for a Research Paper

A proposal is a formal way of expressing an idea and indirectly asking that the people you are writing to, mostly academics, to take action on the same idea. Through proposal writing, one might be seeking permission to do a project, or write a research paper. Proposal writing precedes the writing of a research paper. In proposal writing, therefore, one is seeking permission to write a research paper. Before engaging in writing the proposal, it is important that one knows how to write it in the first place. This will be a huge determinant on whether the proposal is accepted or not.

The mere thought of writing a research proposal before commencing the daunting task of writing the research paper can be overwhelming for some. Nevertheless, it does not have to be so. Proposal writing can be as simple as being familiar with the structure of the proposal. This is the first step in knowing how to write the research proposal.

The first step, in proposal writing, is writing the introduction. The introduction makes clear the objective of the research paper and seeks to answer the questions, what is the paper’s prime objective? What is the major focus in the research paper? The introduction also gives a background to the study. When one knows how to write this then the rest will follow. In the introduction still, include a statement of the problem. The problems are the issues that will be addressed by the research paper. After stating the problem, write a proposal for the solutions. That is, how the problem stated will be solved. Defining the problem and offering a solution for it, aims at convincing those that will at first be uninterested or skeptical to support the research paper.

The next step is including a schedule and a budget. Proposal writing is persuading your target audience to invest their time and money into your research paper. That being said, it is important that they are convinced of their need to invest with you. In this step, provide detailed and concrete information about your schedule and budget in a convincing and clear manner. Under the schedule, how to write it is by highlighting the start of the project and its time line. How will you execute each step? How will you do certain things? Simultaneously or does each step build the other? Under the budget, make sure that your proposal makes sense financially. If your audience does not agree with your budget, it means that they cannot afford it. So try making it financially acceptable.

The final step is the conclusion. Introduce no new idea when writing the conclusion. The best way to write the conclusion is wrapping up your general message by summarizing the benefits of the proposal and cementing the fact that the benefits outweigh the costs. In addition, thank your audience for their consideration. After the conclusion, edit your work. Make sure that it presents the ideas clearly and is specific. You can also have another individual proofread it.

In conclusion, writing a research proposal is not at all a daunting task. Following the steps highlighted through ensures that your proposal is a winner and opens the door for further interest in your work.