Writing your research proposal

The title should be clear, concise and indicative of your research project’s purpose.

The abstract gives an overall impression of your project, its aims and objective. This is the first thing that people will read but is likely to be the last thing you write.

The background section presents your review of the literature and explains how your project will contribute to the evidence base.

Your aims and objectives should link clearly to your research question. Your aim will be a high-level statement of what you plan to explore, while your objectives will be focused questions that address different aspects of your aim.

In your research design you need to outline whether you’re undertaking a qualitative, quantitative or mixed method research project. You'll also need to explain the research methods you’ll use to collect your data, how you’ll analyse it, and how you’ll disseminate the findings. Details of your sampling strategy and data management also appear in this section.

If your research involves people you’ll almost certainly need to seek ethical approval. Key ethical issues to address include anonymity and confidentiality.

Set out a realistic and achievable timeline for your research project. Calculate how long you’ll need to complete each stage of your project. Remember, you don’t need to wait for one part of your project to be finished before you start the next stage. Some parts of your research can happen concurrently. For example, reviewing your literature while awaiting your ethical approval. A Gantt chart can be helpful in planning your timeline.

The project outputs section can be persuasive for funders and managers. This is where you indicate what tangible outputs your research project is likely to have. For example, disseminating your findings at a conference or writing and submitting a journal article. Outcomes can be harder to define but could include greater staff awareness of library services or improving library services.

Project costs will vary depending on the size of your project but may include:

• wages
• equipment
• training
• travel
• dissemination

Any resources referred to in your research proposal should be included in the list of references. If you’re applying for funding, follow funders’ preferred referencing style.

The appendices is where you can include supplementary information such as your questionnaire, interview schedule or search strategy.