HOW TO: Develop a research proposal for a research degree

Whether or not students are required to prepare a formal research proposal depends to a large extent on their field of study. The extracts on this page outline the essential elements of any research proposal and make some initial suggestions on how to progress to a full and viable proposal.

Each institution will probably have its own terminology for its formal requirements for a research proposal. In general terms, though, students will be expected to show that the proposed work:

• is worth researching

• lends itself to being researched

• is sufficiently challenging for the level of award concerned

• can be completed within the appropriate time

• can be adequately resourced

• is not likely to be subjected to any serious constraints

• is capable of being done by the student

These criteria may seem deceptively simple, but each one can subsume a multitude of others and, depending on the nature of the proposal, there is likely to be cross linking between them. The detail and emphasis for your particular research proposal must depend on your topic, the department, school or faculty in which you are registered (particularly if your work is multidisciplinary) and the rigour required by your institution, which will be the final arbiter. So use the points to set yourself thinking. You will soon see how some depend on others, and then suitable headings and cross-references will probably present themselves naturally. It is very unlikely indeed that the headings that you end up with will directly reflect the above bullet points.

You may find that a technique known as a ‘mind-map’ is helpful in developing the ideas about what to include in the proposal. On the other hand, you may not. Mind maps do seem to generate strong feelings, one way or the other. If, having read what follows, you prefer to find your own alternative ways of developing content, there is no reason why you shouldn’t do so. Advice on how to use mind maps is widely available, and is also described in the book. 

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... A sound research proposal requires much more than the above orientation. Obviously supervisors will help, but they are busy people, who will expect you to do your own groundwork.

To show that the work is worth researching, you will need to set it into a context of other work that has and has not been done in the general area. This requires a literature survey. Issues of methodology and terminology should guide your thinking. Ethical considerations, depending on your particular research topic, may vary in importance from minimal to very considerable indeed. All these are elaborated on in the book.

Regarding length and detail, you will need to look at the requirements of your institution, as listed in the student handbook or the website. For the norms of your field of study, look at some research proposals which have previously been accepted. 

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More on this site for research students

Interacting with supervisors | Developing the research proposal | Getting into a productive routine | Writing research reports | Handling plagiarism | Transferable skills and 'Personal Development Planning' (PDP) | Succeeding as an 'overseas'/'international' student | Originality in research | Producing the thesis/dissertation | Handling the oral examination/viva | .... and more still ...