Notes: The Basic Content of a Research Proposal
In general, a research proposal attempts to describe the plan for a specific research project in a way that other scholars find worthy. A research proposal seeks approval and support from the faculty overseeing students in a university department, the scholars and administrators responsible for human subject requirements, and those who advise and control funding programs in foundations, government, and universities.
In general terms, research proposals attempt to show that the authors know what they are doing. A proposal tries to show that the planned research meets scholarly standards, that the research will produce worthwhile results (usually meaning that we can reasonably anticipate it will advance our knowledge about a question worth answering), often tries to show a practical payoff to the expected findings (a common requirement for funding), and seeks to defend the project against plausible criticisms. When a proposal is successful, those reading the proposal will decide that it is a good plan, that they cannot readily see any shortcomings or pitfalls that researchers overlooked, that there is a high probability that the research will successfully achieve its stated goals, and that the researchers have the expertise, commitment, and vision to see the project through.
Those at whom a research proposal is aimed will, and should, approach it critically, looking hard for its flaws, demanding that the proposal be convincing, not giving it the benefit of doubt. It is worth noting that it is almost impossible to write a successful proposal without getting considerable feedback from others who stand in for the critical readers to whom the proposal is addressed.
Here is an outline of what we can expect to find in a research proposal in the social sciences. The amount of attention paid to each of these points, the order in which they are addressed, and the character of the presentation will vary considerably according to the specifics of the project, the authors, and its intended audience.
- A summary or abstract: this should give the heart of the research project in a nutshell. It is a simple summary highlighting all that follows.
- Problem statement (brief): What is the
research question?
- State the primary research question in simple, direct terms. An important secondary question can also appear here effectively, but avoid cluttering with multiple questions. A research plan should have focus.
- Concisely state how the research promises to make a contribution to the scholarly literature relating to some issue that has a history and a future, using a method that will be effective and accepted (this gets discussed at greater length later in the proposal, so here you are just supplying the motivation for the research).
- Literature review of previous studies regarding the
topic
- The literature review should locate the proposed
research within an area in sociology and a program of
past research, clarifying the theoretical and empirical
traditions that shape and motivate the proposed research
- Historical background of theoretical questions
- Important recent work on main theoretical questions
- Important recent work on general empirical issues
- Best work on specific research questions, both regarding the hypotheses and the data
- A literature review should aim at a dialogue with the past work, putting into context, identifying relevant limitations, inconsistencies, and opportunities for extension
- If the research has relevance for policy issues, these should be examined to the degree appropriate for the proposal audence (critical for funding proposals)
- The literature review should be organized around theories, competing research traditions, controversies, or the like.
- The literature review should locate the proposed
research within an area in sociology and a program of
past research, clarifying the theoretical and empirical
traditions that shape and motivate the proposed research
- Theory and Hypotheses:
- What are the project's intended theoretical or
substantive contributions?
- Consider both the narrow and big questions
- Consider both the relatively certain contribution and the less certain but potentially higher pay off possibilities
- Will the research extend previous research on the topic?
- Will it fill gaps in the existing research literature?
- Will it resolve disputes among scholars working in the substantive area?
- Translate the theoretical issues into telling
hypotheses about the data to be gathered, to the degree
possible.
- Ideally, hypotheses should distinguish competing arguments
- Hypotheses normally should be derived from theoretical arguments, not appear as simple empirical projections or common sense predictions
- Clarify what assumptions are implicit in the research design
- What are the project's intended theoretical or
substantive contributions?
- How, where and when will you conduct your
research?
- What methodological approach will be used? Why?
- What kinds of evidence (data) will you gather or use
(preexisting)?
- Variable conceptualization (principal variables related to theoretical constructs)
- Measurement issues (using measures with a history in past research?, need to create new variables or indices?, possible questions about the validity of any measures?)
- Means for observing and collecting data or accessing existing data sets
- Sampling
- What is the sampling plan? (Your own or that of the existing data plus your expected sub-sampling and possible use of weights.)
- Explain (briefly) why is this an optimal sampling plan?
- What are the logistical plans (as relevant)?
- Locating the sample
- Acquiring the data
- Getting relevant permissions
- How will you analyze the data?
- Be concrete about what the data will look like and what you will do with it.
- The aim is both to give a clear description of the intended data analysis and to convince the reader that the authors are sufficiently knowledgeable about the relevant data analysis techniques and issues that they will successfully overcome the unanticipated problems sure to arise.
- This section should clarify how the data will be sufficient and effective for addressing the primary research question.
- This section should anticipate the potential issues good scholars are likely to raise.
- What is the anticipated value of the
empirical research? The aim here really is to show that
you intend to do something that is worth doing.
- What are the explicit goals for the research project (theoretical or substantive)?
- What specific questions will it investigate (what will it look at in the data that corresponds to the theoretical issues?
- What do you expect to find? Why do you expect that?
- How will the research show you are wrong in your assumptions or your arguments if you are wrong? Why are the results you expect very unlikely if your theoretical position is wrong?
- Summarize the research’s potential broader
implications
- Possible significance to scholars working on other problems
- Possible relevance to policy issues
- What are the limitations of this planned project?
- What is the practical plan? Here you want to
show that you have a reasonable plan for doing all the
required work, for acquiring any needed data and help, and
for finishing everything within a sensible time frame.
- Schedule for project (time for each stage and when expect to complete).
- Budget and means of funding, as appropriate.
- Anticipated practical or logistical problems and means of solving.
- Approval by human subjects board (IRB)?
- Discussion/Conclusion. Wrap everything up, with a very brief summary that ties the various parts together with the opening statement of the research problem.
- Bibliography. The bibliography and the citations to it throughout the proposal (mainly in the literature review) should follow a standard style, consistently and accurately. Use either the ASA or University of Chicago style guidelines.