Research Paper Proposal

Writing a Research Paper Proposal

A research paper proposal, in academic terms, is the presentation of the idea you want to explore in your future thesis or dissertation writing. In other words, research paper proposal is a formal paper which gives your instructor an opportunity to get insight into the area of interest for you.  A good research paper proposal requires your understanding of the topic. It is presumed that you have already read sufficient volume of information on the topic and you are able to write a good paper on it.

The first thing you should keep in mind is that research paper proposal cannot be written in one night, even if you have many ideas in your head and have read wealth of articles on the topic. If you want to impress your instructor with a good research paper proposal, you need to devote enough attention to the writing process, from the very first word until the final dot.

Research Paper Proposal Writing: Essential Steps

The following five steps are simplified form of research paper proposal writing and there are many other important issues you need to take into account. Therefore, let these steps serve as a foundation for your successful research paper proposal writing.

Step 1: Select a Question

The most important step of your research paper proposal writing is the choice of the good research question. If should be interesting, relevant to your field of study, current, and manageable. You may not succeed in writing a research paper proposal about global hunger, and yet you may write an excellent proposal about managing hunger in Uruguay, for example. 

Step 2: Employ Analytical Skills

This aspect is often neglected by students. If you wish to succeed in writing a good research paper project, you need to be analytical both in research and in writing. Therefore, your research questions, research strategy, methodology, and even the presentation of results should be professional and analytical in essence.

Step 3: Review Literature

Of course, literature review is of the central elements of your research paper proposal. Drawing on the current literature, you are able to establish theoretical framework for investigation, prove the value and necessary of additional research, generate ideas for further analysis, and accomplish many other tasks.

Step 4: Present Theory

This step is closely related to the previous step. You need to build a strong theoretical framework for your research paper proposal as it will grow into a graduate thesis or master’s dissertation in the future.

Step 5: Draw Conclusions

You should keep in mind that research paper proposal should include foreseen or possible conclusions or expectations you hope to achieve by conducting a research or administering a study. Of course, you may not know the outcomes of the research until you do the research; however, the expected outcomes should be mentioned.