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How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

Published on October 12, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on November 21, 2023.

A research proposal describes what you will investigate, why it’s important, and how you will conduct your research.

The format of a research proposal varies between fields, but most proposals will contain at least these elements:

Introduction

Literature review.

• Research design

Reference list

While the sections may vary, the overall objective is always the same. A research proposal serves as a blueprint and guide for your research plan, helping you get organized and feel confident in the path forward you choose to take.

Table of contents

Research proposal purpose, research proposal examples, research design and methods, contribution to knowledge, research schedule, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research proposals.

Academics often have to write research proposals to get funding for their projects. As a student, you might have to write a research proposal as part of a grad school application , or prior to starting your thesis or dissertation .

In addition to helping you figure out what your research can look like, a proposal can also serve to demonstrate why your project is worth pursuing to a funder, educational institution, or supervisor.

Research proposal length

The length of a research proposal can vary quite a bit. A bachelor’s or master’s thesis proposal can be just a few pages, while proposals for PhD dissertations or research funding are usually much longer and more detailed. Your supervisor can help you determine the best length for your work.

One trick to get started is to think of your proposal’s structure as a shorter version of your thesis or dissertation , only without the results , conclusion and discussion sections.

Download our research proposal template

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Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We’ve included a few for you below.

• Example research proposal #1: “A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management”
• Example research proposal #2: “Medical Students as Mediators of Change in Tobacco Use”

Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes:

• The proposed title of your project
• Your supervisor’s name
• Your institution and department

The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project. Make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why.

Your introduction should:

• Introduce your topic
• Give necessary background and context
• Outline your  problem statement  and research questions

To guide your introduction , include information about:

• Who could have an interest in the topic (e.g., scientists, policymakers)
• How much is already known about the topic
• What is missing from this current knowledge
• What new insights your research will contribute
• Why you believe this research is worth doing

As you get started, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review  shows your reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory. It also shows that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said, but rather using existing research as a jumping-off point for your own.

In this section, share exactly how your project will contribute to ongoing conversations in the field by:

• Comparing and contrasting the main theories, methods, and debates
• Examining the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches
• Explaining how will you build on, challenge, or synthesize prior scholarship

Following the literature review, restate your main  objectives . This brings the focus back to your own project. Next, your research design or methodology section will describe your overall approach, and the practical steps you will take to answer your research questions.

To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential implications of your research for your field. Emphasize again what you aim to contribute and why it matters.

For example, your results might have implications for:

• Improving best practices
• Informing policymaking decisions
• Strengthening a theory or model
• Challenging popular or scientific beliefs
• Creating a basis for future research

Last but not least, your research proposal must include correct citations for every source you have used, compiled in a reference list . To create citations quickly and easily, you can use our free APA citation generator .

Some institutions or funders require a detailed timeline of the project, asking you to forecast what you will do at each stage and how long it may take. While not always required, be sure to check the requirements of your project.

Here’s an example schedule to help you get started. You can also download a template at the button below.

Download our research schedule template

If you are applying for research funding, chances are you will have to include a detailed budget. This shows your estimates of how much each part of your project will cost.

Make sure to check what type of costs the funding body will agree to cover. For each item, include:

• Cost : exactly how much money do you need?
• Justification : why is this cost necessary to complete the research?
• Source : how did you calculate the amount?

To determine your budget, think about:

• Travel costs : do you need to go somewhere to collect your data? How will you get there, and how much time will you need? What will you do there (e.g., interviews, archival research)?
• Materials : do you need access to any tools or technologies?
• Help : do you need to hire any research assistants for the project? What will they do, and how much will you pay them?

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement .

Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.

I will compare …

A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.

Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.

A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.

A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.

A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.

All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.

Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.

Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.

The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.

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The goal of a research proposal is twofold: to present and justify the need to study a research problem and to present the practical ways in which the proposed study should be conducted. The design elements and procedures for conducting research are governed by standards of the predominant discipline in which the problem resides, therefore, the guidelines for research proposals are more exacting and less formal than a general project proposal. Research proposals contain extensive literature reviews. They must provide persuasive evidence that a need exists for the proposed study. In addition to providing a rationale, a proposal describes detailed methodology for conducting the research consistent with requirements of the professional or academic field and a statement on anticipated outcomes and benefits derived from the study's completion.

Krathwohl, David R. How to Prepare a Dissertation Proposal: Suggestions for Students in Education and the Social and Behavioral Sciences . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2005.

How to Approach Writing a Research Proposal

Your professor may assign the task of writing a research proposal for the following reasons:

• Develop your skills in thinking about and designing a comprehensive research study;
• Learn how to conduct a comprehensive review of the literature to determine that the research problem has not been adequately addressed or has been answered ineffectively and, in so doing, become better at locating pertinent scholarship related to your topic;
• Improve your general research and writing skills;
• Practice identifying the logical steps that must be taken to accomplish one's research goals;
• Critically review, examine, and consider the use of different methods for gathering and analyzing data related to the research problem; and,
• Nurture a sense of inquisitiveness within yourself and to help see yourself as an active participant in the process of conducting scholarly research.

A proposal should contain all the key elements involved in designing a completed research study, with sufficient information that allows readers to assess the validity and usefulness of your proposed study. The only elements missing from a research proposal are the findings of the study and your analysis of those findings. Finally, an effective proposal is judged on the quality of your writing and, therefore, it is important that your proposal is coherent, clear, and compelling.

Regardless of the research problem you are investigating and the methodology you choose, all research proposals must address the following questions:

• What do you plan to accomplish? Be clear and succinct in defining the research problem and what it is you are proposing to investigate.
• Why do you want to do the research? In addition to detailing your research design, you also must conduct a thorough review of the literature and provide convincing evidence that it is a topic worthy of in-depth study. A successful research proposal must answer the "So What?" question.
• How are you going to conduct the research? Be sure that what you propose is doable. If you're having difficulty formulating a research problem to propose investigating, go here for strategies in developing a problem to study.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Failure to be concise . A research proposal must be focused and not be "all over the map" or diverge into unrelated tangents without a clear sense of purpose.
• Failure to cite landmark works in your literature review . Proposals should be grounded in foundational research that lays a foundation for understanding the development and scope of the the topic and its relevance.
• Failure to delimit the contextual scope of your research [e.g., time, place, people, etc.]. As with any research paper, your proposed study must inform the reader how and in what ways the study will frame the problem.
• Failure to develop a coherent and persuasive argument for the proposed research . This is critical. In many workplace settings, the research proposal is a formal document intended to argue for why a study should be funded.
• Sloppy or imprecise writing, or poor grammar . Although a research proposal does not represent a completed research study, there is still an expectation that it is well-written and follows the style and rules of good academic writing.
• Too much detail on minor issues, but not enough detail on major issues . Your proposal should focus on only a few key research questions in order to support the argument that the research needs to be conducted. Minor issues, even if valid, can be mentioned but they should not dominate the overall narrative.

Procter, Margaret. The Academic Proposal.  The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Sanford, Keith. Information for Students: Writing a Research Proposal. Baylor University; Wong, Paul T. P. How to Write a Research Proposal. International Network on Personal Meaning. Trinity Western University; Writing Academic Proposals: Conferences, Articles, and Books. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing a Research Proposal. University Library. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Structure and Writing Style

Beginning the Proposal Process

As with writing most college-level academic papers, research proposals are generally organized the same way throughout most social science disciplines. The text of proposals generally vary in length between ten and thirty-five pages, followed by the list of references. However, before you begin, read the assignment carefully and, if anything seems unclear, ask your professor whether there are any specific requirements for organizing and writing the proposal.

A good place to begin is to ask yourself a series of questions:

• What do I want to study?
• Why is the topic important?
• How is it significant within the subject areas covered in my class?
• What problems will it help solve?
• How does it build upon [and hopefully go beyond] research already conducted on the topic?
• What exactly should I plan to do, and can I get it done in the time available?

In general, a compelling research proposal should document your knowledge of the topic and demonstrate your enthusiasm for conducting the study. Approach it with the intention of leaving your readers feeling like, "Wow, that's an exciting idea and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!"

Most proposals should include the following sections:

I.  Introduction

In the real world of higher education, a research proposal is most often written by scholars seeking grant funding for a research project or it's the first step in getting approval to write a doctoral dissertation. Even if this is just a course assignment, treat your introduction as the initial pitch of an idea based on a thorough examination of the significance of a research problem. After reading the introduction, your readers should not only have an understanding of what you want to do, but they should also be able to gain a sense of your passion for the topic and to be excited about the study's possible outcomes. Note that most proposals do not include an abstract [summary] before the introduction.

Think about your introduction as a narrative written in two to four paragraphs that succinctly answers the following four questions :

• What is the central research problem?
• What is the topic of study related to that research problem?
• What methods should be used to analyze the research problem?
• Answer the "So What?" question by explaining why this is important research, what is its significance, and why should someone reading the proposal care about the outcomes of the proposed study?

II.  Background and Significance

This is where you explain the scope and context of your proposal and describe in detail why it's important. It can be melded into your introduction or you can create a separate section to help with the organization and narrative flow of your proposal. Approach writing this section with the thought that you can’t assume your readers will know as much about the research problem as you do. Note that this section is not an essay going over everything you have learned about the topic; instead, you must choose what is most relevant in explaining the aims of your research.

To that end, while there are no prescribed rules for establishing the significance of your proposed study, you should attempt to address some or all of the following:

• State the research problem and give a more detailed explanation about the purpose of the study than what you stated in the introduction. This is particularly important if the problem is complex or multifaceted .
• Present the rationale of your proposed study and clearly indicate why it is worth doing; be sure to answer the "So What? question [i.e., why should anyone care?].
• Describe the major issues or problems examined by your research. This can be in the form of questions to be addressed. Be sure to note how your proposed study builds on previous assumptions about the research problem.
• Explain the methods you plan to use for conducting your research. Clearly identify the key sources you intend to use and explain how they will contribute to your analysis of the topic.
• Describe the boundaries of your proposed research in order to provide a clear focus. Where appropriate, state not only what you plan to study, but what aspects of the research problem will be excluded from the study.
• If necessary, provide definitions of key concepts, theories, or terms.

III.  Literature Review

Connected to the background and significance of your study is a section of your proposal devoted to a more deliberate review and synthesis of prior studies related to the research problem under investigation . The purpose here is to place your project within the larger whole of what is currently being explored, while at the same time, demonstrating to your readers that your work is original and innovative. Think about what questions other researchers have asked, what methodological approaches they have used, and what is your understanding of their findings and, when stated, their recommendations. Also pay attention to any suggestions for further research.

Since a literature review is information dense, it is crucial that this section is intelligently structured to enable a reader to grasp the key arguments underpinning your proposed study in relation to the arguments put forth by other researchers. A good strategy is to break the literature into "conceptual categories" [themes] rather than systematically or chronologically describing groups of materials one at a time. Note that conceptual categories generally reveal themselves after you have read most of the pertinent literature on your topic so adding new categories is an on-going process of discovery as you review more studies. How do you know you've covered the key conceptual categories underlying the research literature? Generally, you can have confidence that all of the significant conceptual categories have been identified if you start to see repetition in the conclusions or recommendations that are being made.

NOTE: Do not shy away from challenging the conclusions made in prior research as a basis for supporting the need for your proposal. Assess what you believe is missing and state how previous research has failed to adequately examine the issue that your study addresses. Highlighting the problematic conclusions strengthens your proposal. For more information on writing literature reviews, GO HERE .

To help frame your proposal's review of prior research, consider the "five C’s" of writing a literature review:

• Cite , so as to keep the primary focus on the literature pertinent to your research problem.
• Compare the various arguments, theories, methodologies, and findings expressed in the literature: what do the authors agree on? Who applies similar approaches to analyzing the research problem?
• Contrast the various arguments, themes, methodologies, approaches, and controversies expressed in the literature: describe what are the major areas of disagreement, controversy, or debate among scholars?
• Critique the literature: Which arguments are more persuasive, and why? Which approaches, findings, and methodologies seem most reliable, valid, or appropriate, and why? Pay attention to the verbs you use to describe what an author says/does [e.g., asserts, demonstrates, argues, etc.].
• Connect the literature to your own area of research and investigation: how does your own work draw upon, depart from, synthesize, or add a new perspective to what has been said in the literature?

IV.  Research Design and Methods

This section must be well-written and logically organized because you are not actually doing the research, yet, your reader must have confidence that you have a plan worth pursuing . The reader will never have a study outcome from which to evaluate whether your methodological choices were the correct ones. Thus, the objective here is to convince the reader that your overall research design and proposed methods of analysis will correctly address the problem and that the methods will provide the means to effectively interpret the potential results. Your design and methods should be unmistakably tied to the specific aims of your study.

Describe the overall research design by building upon and drawing examples from your review of the literature. Consider not only methods that other researchers have used, but methods of data gathering that have not been used but perhaps could be. Be specific about the methodological approaches you plan to undertake to obtain information, the techniques you would use to analyze the data, and the tests of external validity to which you commit yourself [i.e., the trustworthiness by which you can generalize from your study to other people, places, events, and/or periods of time].

When describing the methods you will use, be sure to cover the following:

• Specify the research process you will undertake and the way you will interpret the results obtained in relation to the research problem. Don't just describe what you intend to achieve from applying the methods you choose, but state how you will spend your time while applying these methods [e.g., coding text from interviews to find statements about the need to change school curriculum; running a regression to determine if there is a relationship between campaign advertising on social media sites and election outcomes in Europe ].
• Keep in mind that the methodology is not just a list of tasks; it is a deliberate argument as to why techniques for gathering information add up to the best way to investigate the research problem. This is an important point because the mere listing of tasks to be performed does not demonstrate that, collectively, they effectively address the research problem. Be sure you clearly explain this.
• Anticipate and acknowledge any potential barriers and pitfalls in carrying out your research design and explain how you plan to address them. No method applied to research in the social and behavioral sciences is perfect, so you need to describe where you believe challenges may exist in obtaining data or accessing information. It's always better to acknowledge this than to have it brought up by your professor!

V.  Preliminary Suppositions and Implications

Just because you don't have to actually conduct the study and analyze the results, doesn't mean you can skip talking about the analytical process and potential implications . The purpose of this section is to argue how and in what ways you believe your research will refine, revise, or extend existing knowledge in the subject area under investigation. Depending on the aims and objectives of your study, describe how the anticipated results will impact future scholarly research, theory, practice, forms of interventions, or policy making. Note that such discussions may have either substantive [a potential new policy], theoretical [a potential new understanding], or methodological [a potential new way of analyzing] significance.   When thinking about the potential implications of your study, ask the following questions:

• What might the results mean in regards to challenging the theoretical framework and underlying assumptions that support the study?
• What suggestions for subsequent research could arise from the potential outcomes of the study?
• What will the results mean to practitioners in the natural settings of their workplace, organization, or community?
• Will the results influence programs, methods, and/or forms of intervention?
• How might the results contribute to the solution of social, economic, or other types of problems?
• Will the results influence policy decisions?
• In what way do individuals or groups benefit should your study be pursued?
• What will be improved or changed as a result of the proposed research?
• How will the results of the study be implemented and what innovations or transformative insights could emerge from the process of implementation?

NOTE:   This section should not delve into idle speculation, opinion, or be formulated on the basis of unclear evidence . The purpose is to reflect upon gaps or understudied areas of the current literature and describe how your proposed research contributes to a new understanding of the research problem should the study be implemented as designed.

ANOTHER NOTE : This section is also where you describe any potential limitations to your proposed study. While it is impossible to highlight all potential limitations because the study has yet to be conducted, you still must tell the reader where and in what form impediments may arise and how you plan to address them.

VI.  Conclusion

The conclusion reiterates the importance or significance of your proposal and provides a brief summary of the entire study . This section should be only one or two paragraphs long, emphasizing why the research problem is worth investigating, why your research study is unique, and how it should advance existing knowledge.

Someone reading this section should come away with an understanding of:

• Why the study should be done;
• The specific purpose of the study and the research questions it attempts to answer;
• The decision for why the research design and methods used where chosen over other options;
• The potential implications emerging from your proposed study of the research problem; and
• A sense of how your study fits within the broader scholarship about the research problem.

VII.  Citations

As with any scholarly research paper, you must cite the sources you used . In a standard research proposal, this section can take two forms, so consult with your professor about which one is preferred.

• References -- a list of only the sources you actually used in creating your proposal.
• Bibliography -- a list of everything you used in creating your proposal, along with additional citations to any key sources relevant to understanding the research problem.

In either case, this section should testify to the fact that you did enough preparatory work to ensure the project will complement and not just duplicate the efforts of other researchers. It demonstrates to the reader that you have a thorough understanding of prior research on the topic.

Most proposal formats have you start a new page and use the heading "References" or "Bibliography" centered at the top of the page. Cited works should always use a standard format that follows the writing style advised by the discipline of your course [e.g., education=APA; history=Chicago] or that is preferred by your professor. This section normally does not count towards the total page length of your research proposal.

Develop a Research Proposal: Writing the Proposal. Office of Library Information Services. Baltimore County Public Schools; Heath, M. Teresa Pereira and Caroline Tynan. “Crafting a Research Proposal.” The Marketing Review 10 (Summer 2010): 147-168; Jones, Mark. “Writing a Research Proposal.” In MasterClass in Geography Education: Transforming Teaching and Learning . Graham Butt, editor. (New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2015), pp. 113-127; Juni, Muhamad Hanafiah. “Writing a Research Proposal.” International Journal of Public Health and Clinical Sciences 1 (September/October 2014): 229-240; Krathwohl, David R. How to Prepare a Dissertation Proposal: Suggestions for Students in Education and the Social and Behavioral Sciences . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2005; Procter, Margaret. The Academic Proposal. The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Punch, Keith and Wayne McGowan. "Developing and Writing a Research Proposal." In From Postgraduate to Social Scientist: A Guide to Key Skills . Nigel Gilbert, ed. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2006), 59-81; Wong, Paul T. P. How to Write a Research Proposal. International Network on Personal Meaning. Trinity Western University; Writing Academic Proposals: Conferences , Articles, and Books. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing a Research Proposal. University Library. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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Blog Education

How to Write a Research Proposal: A Step-by-Step

By Danesh Ramuthi , Nov 29, 2023

A research proposal is a structured outline for a planned study on a specific topic. It serves as a roadmap, guiding researchers through the process of converting their research idea into a feasible project. 

The aim of a research proposal is multifold: it articulates the research problem, establishes a theoretical framework, outlines the research methodology and highlights the potential significance of the study. Importantly, it’s a critical tool for scholars seeking grant funding or approval for their research projects.

Crafting a good research proposal requires not only understanding your research topic and methodological approaches but also the ability to present your ideas clearly and persuasively. Explore Venngage’s Proposal Maker and Research Proposals Templates to begin your journey in writing a compelling research proposal.

What to include in a research proposal?

In a research proposal, include a clear statement of your research question or problem, along with an explanation of its significance. This should be followed by a literature review that situates your proposed study within the context of existing research. 

Your proposal should also outline the research methodology, detailing how you plan to conduct your study, including data collection and analysis methods.

Additionally, include a theoretical framework that guides your research approach, a timeline or research schedule, and a budget if applicable. It’s important to also address the anticipated outcomes and potential implications of your study. A well-structured research proposal will clearly communicate your research objectives, methods and significance to the readers.

How to format a research proposal?

Formatting a research proposal involves adhering to a structured outline to ensure clarity and coherence. While specific requirements may vary, a standard research proposal typically includes the following elements:

• Title Page: Must include the title of your research proposal, your name and affiliations. The title should be concise and descriptive of your proposed research.
• Abstract: A brief summary of your proposal, usually not exceeding 250 words. It should highlight the research question, methodology and the potential impact of the study.
• Introduction: Introduces your research question or problem, explains its significance, and states the objectives of your study.
• Literature review: Here, you contextualize your research within existing scholarship, demonstrating your knowledge of the field and how your research will contribute to it.
• Methodology: Outline your research methods, including how you will collect and analyze data. This section should be detailed enough to show the feasibility and thoughtfulness of your approach.
• Timeline: Provide an estimated schedule for your research, breaking down the process into stages with a realistic timeline for each.
• Budget (if applicable): If your research requires funding, include a detailed budget outlining expected cost.
• References/Bibliography: List all sources referenced in your proposal in a consistent citation style.

How to write a research proposal in 11 steps?

Writing a research proposal in structured steps ensures a comprehensive and coherent presentation of your research project. Let’s look at the explanation for each of the steps here:  

Step 1: Title and Abstract Step 2: Introduction Step 3: Research objectives Step 4: Literature review Step 5: Methodology Step 6: Timeline Step 7: Resources Step 8: Ethical considerations Step 9: Expected outcomes and significance Step 10: References Step 11: Appendices

Step 1: title and abstract.

Select a concise, descriptive title and write an abstract summarizing your research question, objectives, methodology and expected outcomes​​. The abstract should include your research question, the objectives you aim to achieve, the methodology you plan to employ and the anticipated outcomes. 

Step 2: Introduction

In this section, introduce the topic of your research, emphasizing its significance and relevance to the field. Articulate the research problem or question in clear terms and provide background context, which should include an overview of previous research in the field.

Step 3: Research objectives

Here, you’ll need to outline specific, clear and achievable objectives that align with your research problem. These objectives should be well-defined, focused and measurable, serving as the guiding pillars for your study. They help in establishing what you intend to accomplish through your research and provide a clear direction for your investigation.

Step 4: Literature review

In this part, conduct a thorough review of existing literature related to your research topic. This involves a detailed summary of key findings and major contributions from previous research. Identify existing gaps in the literature and articulate how your research aims to fill these gaps. The literature review not only shows your grasp of the subject matter but also how your research will contribute new insights or perspectives to the field.

Step 5: Methodology

Describe the design of your research and the methodologies you will employ. This should include detailed information on data collection methods, instruments to be used and analysis techniques. Justify the appropriateness of these methods for your research​​.

Step 6: Timeline

Construct a detailed timeline that maps out the major milestones and activities of your research project. Break the entire research process into smaller, manageable tasks and assign realistic time frames to each. This timeline should cover everything from the initial research phase to the final submission, including periods for data collection, analysis and report writing. 

It helps in ensuring your project stays on track and demonstrates to reviewers that you have a well-thought-out plan for completing your research efficiently.

Step 7: Resources

Identify all the resources that will be required for your research, such as specific databases, laboratory equipment, software or funding. Provide details on how these resources will be accessed or acquired. 

If your research requires funding, explain how it will be utilized effectively to support various aspects of the project. 

Step 8: Ethical considerations

Address any ethical issues that may arise during your research. This is particularly important for research involving human subjects. Describe the measures you will take to ensure ethical standards are maintained, such as obtaining informed consent, ensuring participant privacy, and adhering to data protection regulations. 

Here, in this section you should reassure reviewers that you are committed to conducting your research responsibly and ethically.

Step 9: Expected outcomes and significance

Articulate the expected outcomes or results of your research. Explain the potential impact and significance of these outcomes, whether in advancing academic knowledge, influencing policy or addressing specific societal or practical issues. 

Step 10: References

Compile a comprehensive list of all the references cited in your proposal. Adhere to a consistent citation style (like APA or MLA) throughout your document. The reference section not only gives credit to the original authors of your sourced information but also strengthens the credibility of your proposal.

Step 11: Appendices

Include additional supporting materials that are pertinent to your research proposal. This can be survey questionnaires, interview guides, detailed data analysis plans or any supplementary information that supports the main text. 

Appendices provide further depth to your proposal, showcasing the thoroughness of your preparation.

Research proposal FAQs

1. how long should a research proposal be.

The length of a research proposal can vary depending on the requirements of the academic institution, funding body or specific guidelines provided. Generally, research proposals range from 500 to 1500 words or about one to a few pages long. It’s important to provide enough detail to clearly convey your research idea, objectives and methodology, while being concise. Always check

2. Why is the research plan pivotal to a research project?

The research plan is pivotal to a research project because it acts as a blueprint, guiding every phase of the study. It outlines the objectives, methodology, timeline and expected outcomes, providing a structured approach and ensuring that the research is systematically conducted. 

A well-crafted plan helps in identifying potential challenges, allocating resources efficiently and maintaining focus on the research goals. It is also essential for communicating the project’s feasibility and importance to stakeholders, such as funding bodies or academic supervisors.

Mastering how to write a research proposal is an essential skill for any scholar, whether in social and behavioral sciences, academic writing or any field requiring scholarly research. From this article, you have learned key components, from the literature review to the research design, helping you develop a persuasive and well-structured proposal.

Remember, a good research proposal not only highlights your proposed research and methodology but also demonstrates its relevance and potential impact.

For additional support, consider utilizing Venngage’s Proposal Maker and Research Proposals Templates , valuable tools in crafting a compelling proposal that stands out.

Whether it’s for grant funding, a research paper or a dissertation proposal, these resources can assist in transforming your research idea into a successful submission.

• 301 Academic Skills Centre
• Study skills online

How to write a research proposal

Advice and guidance on writing a proposal for a student research project.

Purpose of a Research Proposal

A research proposal should describe what you will investigate, why it is important to the discipline and how you will conduct your research.

Simply put, it is your plan for the research you intend to conduct. All research proposals are designed to persuade someone about how and why your intended project is worthwhile. 

In your proposal you will need to explain and defend your choices. Always think about the exact reasons why you are making specific choices and why they are the best options available to you and your project. 

Your research proposal aims should be centred on: 

• Relevance - You want to convince the reader how and why your research is relevant and significant to your field and how it is original. This is typically done in parts of the introduction and the literature review.
• Context - You should demonstrate that you are familiar with the field, you understand the current state of research on the topic and your ideas have a strong academic basis (i.e., not simply based on your instincts or personal views). This will be the focus of your introduction and literature review. 
• Approach - You need to make a case for your methodology, showing that you have carefully thought about the data, tools and procedures you will need to conduct the research. You need to explicitly defend all of your choices. This will be presented in the research design section. 
• Feasibility - You need to demonstrate clearly that your project is both reasonable and feasible within the practical constraints of the course, timescales, institution or funding. You need to make sure you have the time and access to resources to complete the project in a reasonable period. 

301 Recommends:

Our Research Writing workshop will look at some of the main writing challenges associated with writing a large-scale research project and look at strategies to manage your writing on a day-to-day basis. It will identify ways to plan, organise and map out the structure of your writing to allow you to develop an effective writing schedule and make continuous progress on your dissertation project.

Proposal format

The format of a research proposal varies between fields and levels of study but most proposals should contain at least these elements: introduction, literature review, research design and reference list.

Generally, research proposals can range from 500-1500 words or one to a few pages long. Typically, proposals for larger projects such as a PhD dissertation or funding requests, are longer and much more detailed.

Remember, the goal of your research proposal is to outline clearly and concisely exactly what your research will entail and accomplish, how it will do so and why it is important. If you are writing to a strictly enforced word count, a research proposal can be a great test of your ability to express yourself concisely!

Introduction

The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project, so make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why. In other words, this is where you answer the reader’s “so what?” It should typically include: introducing the topic , outlining your problem statement and research question(s) and giving background and context. Some important questions to shape your introduction include: 

• Who has an interest in the topic (e.g. scientists, practitioners, policymakers, particular members of society)?
• How much is already known about the problem and why is it important?
• What is missing from current knowledge and why?
• What new insights will your research contribute?
• Why is this research worth doing?

If your proposal is very long, you might include separate sections with more detailed information on the background and context, problem statement, aims and objectives, and importance of the research.

Literature Review 

It’s important to show that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review convinces the reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory (i.e. how it relates to established research in the field).

Your literature review will also show that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said. This is also where you explain why your research is necessary. You might want to consider some of the following prompts:

• Comparing and contrasting: what are the main theories, methods, debates and controversies?
• Being critical: what are the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches?
• Showing how your research fits in: how will you build on, challenge or synthesise the work of others? 
• Filling a gap in the existing body of research: why is your idea innovative? 

Research design and methods

Following the literature review, it is a good idea to restate your main objectives, bringing the focus back to your own project. The research design/ methodology section should describe the overall approach and practical steps you will take to answer your research questions. You also need to demonstrate the feasibility of the project keeping in mind time and other constraints. 

You should definitely include:

• Qualitative vs quantitative research? Combination? 
• Will you collect original data or work with primary/secondary sources? 
• Is your research design descriptive, correlational or experimental? Something completely different?
• If you are undertaking your own study, when and where will you collect the data? How will you select subjects or sources? Ethics review? Exactly what or who will you study?
• What tools and procedures will you use (e.g. systematic reviews, surveys, interviews, observation, experiments, bibliographic data) to collect your data? 
• What tools/methods will you use to analyse your data? 
• Why are these the best methods to answer your research question(s)? This is where you should justify your choices. 
• How much time will you need to collect the data? 
• How will you gain access to participants and sources?
• Do you foresee any potential obstacles and if so, how will you address them?

Make sure you are not simply compiling a list of methods. Instead, aim to make an argument for why this is the most appropriate, valid and reliable way to approach answering your question. Remember you should always be defending your choices! 

Implications and Contributions to Knowledge

To ensure you finish your proposal on a strong note, it is a good idea to explore and/or emphasise the potential implications of the research. This means: what do you intend to contribute to existing knowledge on the topic?

Although you cannot know the results of your research until you have actually done the work, you should be going into the project with a clear idea of how your work will contribute to your field. This section might even be considered the most critical to your research proposal’s argument because it expresses exactly why your research is necessary. 

You should consider covering at least some of the following topics:

• Ways in which your work can challenge existing theories and assumptions in your field. 
• How your work will create the foundation for future research and theory. 
• The practical value your findings will provide to practitioners, educators and other academics in your field. 
• The problems or issues your work can potentially help to resolve. 
• Policies that could be impacted by your findings. 
• How your findings can be implemented in academia or other settings and how this will improve or otherwise transform these settings. 

This part is not about stating the specific results that you expect to obtain but rather, this is the section where you explicitly state how your findings will be valuable. 

This section is where you want to wrap it all up in a nice pretty bow. It is just like the concluding paragraph that you would structure and craft for a typical essay. You should briefly summarise your research proposal and reinforce your research purpose. 

Reference List or Bibliography

Your research proposal MUST include proper citations for every source you have used and full references. Please consult your departmental referencing styles to ensure you are citing and referencing in an appropriate way. 

Common mistakes to avoid 

Try and avoid these common pitfalls when you are writing your research proposal: 

• Being too wordy: Remember formal does not mean flowery or pretentious. In fact, you should really aim to keep your writing as concise and accessible as possible. The more economically you can express your goals and ideas, the better. 
• Failing to cite relevant information/sources: You are adding to the existing body of knowledge on the subject you are covering. Therefore, your research proposal should reference the main research pieces in your field (while referencing them correctly!) and connect your proposal to these works in some way. This does not mean just communicating the relevance of your work, it should explicitly demonstrate your familiarity with the field. 
• Focusing too much on minor issues: Your research is most likely important for so many great reasons. However, they do not all need to be listed in your research proposal. Generally, including too many questions and issues in your research proposal can serve as a red flag and detract from your main purpose(s). This will in turn weaken your proposal. Only involve the main/key issues you plan to address. 
• Failing to make a strong argument for your research: This is the simplest way to undermine your proposal. Your proposal is a piece of persuasive and critical writing . This means that, although you are presenting your proposal in an academic and hopefully objective manner, the goal is to get the reader to say ‘yes’ to your work. 
• Not polishing your writing : If your proposal has spelling or grammatical errors, an inconsistent or inappropriate tone or even just awkward phrasing it can undermine your credibility. Check out some of these resources to help guide you in the right direction: Manchester Academic Phrasebank , Proofreading Guide , Essay Checklist and Grammar Guide . Remember to double and triple check your work. 

Links and Resources

You might also need to include a schedule and/or a budget depending on your requirements. Some tools to help include: 

• Manchester University Academic Phrasebank
• Leeds Beckett Assignment Calculator
• Calendarpedia

Related information

Dissertation planning

Writing a literature review

Research methods

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Writing your research proposal

Writing the ‘what’ of your proposed research.

The purpose of this part of your research proposal is to generally describe what your research is about.

The ‘what’ part establishes how your research is situated within your discipline or field. It provides fundamental information, such as:

• the key ideas, theories and concepts
• the major issues and debates
• the key players and seminal texts or key artists, and
• the questions that have been asked around this topic.
• your research questions, problems or hypotheses
• the scope of the proposed research (i.e. what you will and what you won’t do).

The ‘what’ part of your research proposal may also include:

• the aims and/or objectives of your research
• an introduction to the theoretical framework within which your research sits
• a statement of the problem grounded in the context or theoretical framework and a resulting argument for your research to be conducted
• the timeliness of your proposed research (i.e. why should it be done right now?)
• definitions if needed.

Writing the ‘why’ of your proposed research

A key requirement of your research proposal is to justify that your research is worth doing. Your review panel will be looking for a succinct and convincing argument about what sets your proposed research apart from others, and why not doing this research leaves an important problem unaddressed.

Ways of justifying your research include showing that your project will make a significant and substantial contribution in terms of:

• how it fits within an existing body of scholarship/literature/practice
• how it builds on and adds to this body of knowledge
• what the value of your research is and for whom (e.g. a particular community, industry, etc.).

Think about how you might go about justifying your research.

• What key literature is your proposed research situated within?
• How will your research build on this?
• Who will benefit from your research and how?

Critical engagement with the literature is crucial in order to justify your research. You must demonstrate that you understand:

• the main concepts and themes, underlying principles, and established theories related to your research
• areas of controversy and contention
• the key scholars and seminal research related to your topic.

In some disciplines, discussion of the above points is located in the ‘what’ rather than the ‘why’ section of your research proposal. In fact, you will almost certainly cover some of these points when you’re describing and contextualising your research. Often this is done in a general way in the ‘what’ section and in a more critical, in-depth way in the ‘why’ section. A rule of thumb is to ask yourself whether this information is contextualising or justifying your research.

Writing the ‘how’ of your proposed research

This part of your research proposal involves describing how you plan to find answers to your research questions or resolve the research problems. In other words, it entails describing the design of your research.

A difficulty you may have in this section is in providing the right amount of information – not too little nor too much. You need to give as much information as is needed to argue to the review panel that the research is do-able and to justify the components of your research design.

Which of these questions will you need to answer in your research design (i.e. the ‘how’ section of your research proposal)?

• What is your chosen research design and rationale?
• What theories, concepts or models inform your research design?
• What are the step-by-step methods or process used?
• What constitutes your creative practice?
• How will you engage with your creative practice (e.g. reflection, testing, theorising)?
• What type of data will be collected?
• What are your sources of data?
• Where and how will the data be collected?
• How will the data be analysed?
• What are the strengths and limitations of your methodology?
• What resources are required (equipment, other)?
• How reliable and valid are your methods?
• What ethical issues relate to your research methods, and how will you address these?
• Can you complete your research within the official timeframe (demonstrated on a Gantt chart)?

To learn more about writing a research proposal, watch this webinar from the Library.

RMIT webinar on writing a research proposal (23:59)

Writing a research proposal (23:59 min) by RMIT University LIbrary ( YouTube ).

Further resources

For some RMIT discipline-based guidelines for research proposals illustrating the ‘what’, ‘why’, and ‘how sections, consult : Discipline- based guidelines (DOCX, 1 page) .

Research and Writing Skills for Academic and Graduate Researchers Copyright © 2022 by RMIT University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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What (Exactly) Is A Research Proposal?

A simple explainer with examples + free template.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2020 (Updated April 2023)

Whether you’re nearing the end of your degree and your dissertation is on the horizon, or you’re planning to apply for a PhD program, chances are you’ll need to craft a convincing research proposal . If you’re on this page, you’re probably unsure exactly what the research proposal is all about. Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Overview: Research Proposal Basics

• What a research proposal is
• What a research proposal needs to cover
• How to structure your research proposal
• Example /sample proposals
• Proposal writing FAQs
• Key takeaways & additional resources

What is a research proposal?

Simply put, a research proposal is a structured, formal document that explains what you plan to research (your research topic), why it’s worth researching (your justification), and how  you plan to investigate it (your methodology). 

The purpose of the research proposal (its job, so to speak) is to convince  your research supervisor, committee or university that your research is  suitable  (for the requirements of the degree program) and  manageable  (given the time and resource constraints you will face). 

The most important word here is “ convince ” – in other words, your research proposal needs to  sell  your research idea (to whoever is going to approve it). If it doesn’t convince them (of its suitability and manageability), you’ll need to revise and resubmit . This will cost you valuable time, which will either delay the start of your research or eat into its time allowance (which is bad news). 

What goes into a research proposal?

A good dissertation or thesis proposal needs to cover the “ what “, “ why ” and” how ” of the proposed study. Let’s look at each of these attributes in a little more detail:

Your proposal needs to clearly articulate your research topic . This needs to be specific and unambiguous . Your research topic should make it clear exactly what you plan to research and in what context. Here’s an example of a well-articulated research topic:

An investigation into the factors which impact female Generation Y consumer’s likelihood to promote a specific makeup brand to their peers: a British context

As you can see, this topic is extremely clear. From this one line we can see exactly:

• What’s being investigated – factors that make people promote or advocate for a brand of a specific makeup brand
• Who it involves – female Gen-Y consumers
• In what context – the United Kingdom

So, make sure that your research proposal provides a detailed explanation of your research topic . If possible, also briefly outline your research aims and objectives , and perhaps even your research questions (although in some cases you’ll only develop these at a later stage). Needless to say, don’t start writing your proposal until you have a clear topic in mind , or you’ll end up waffling and your research proposal will suffer as a result of this.

Need a helping hand?

As we touched on earlier, it’s not good enough to simply propose a research topic – you need to justify why your topic is original . In other words, what makes it  unique ? What gap in the current literature does it fill? If it’s simply a rehash of the existing research, it’s probably not going to get approval – it needs to be fresh.

But,  originality  alone is not enough. Once you’ve ticked that box, you also need to justify why your proposed topic is  important . In other words, what value will it add to the world if you achieve your research aims?

As an example, let’s look at the sample research topic we mentioned earlier (factors impacting brand advocacy). In this case, if the research could uncover relevant factors, these findings would be very useful to marketers in the cosmetics industry, and would, therefore, have commercial value . That is a clear justification for the research.

So, when you’re crafting your research proposal, remember that it’s not enough for a topic to simply be unique. It needs to be useful and value-creating – and you need to convey that value in your proposal. If you’re struggling to find a research topic that makes the cut, watch  our video covering how to find a research topic .

It’s all good and well to have a great topic that’s original and valuable, but you’re not going to convince anyone to approve it without discussing the practicalities – in other words:

• How will you actually undertake your research (i.e., your methodology)?
• Is your research methodology appropriate given your research aims?
• Is your approach manageable given your constraints (time, money, etc.)?

While it’s generally not expected that you’ll have a fully fleshed-out methodology at the proposal stage, you’ll likely still need to provide a high-level overview of your research methodology . Here are some important questions you’ll need to address in your research proposal:

• Will you take a qualitative , quantitative or mixed -method approach?
• What sampling strategy will you adopt?
• How will you collect your data (e.g., interviews, surveys, etc)?
• How will you analyse your data (e.g., descriptive and inferential statistics , content analysis, discourse analysis, etc, .)?
• What potential limitations will your methodology carry?

So, be sure to give some thought to the practicalities of your research and have at least a basic methodological plan before you start writing up your proposal. If this all sounds rather intimidating, the video below provides a good introduction to research methodology and the key choices you’ll need to make.

How To Structure A Research Proposal

Now that we’ve covered the key points that need to be addressed in a proposal, you may be wondering, “ But how is a research proposal structured? “.

While the exact structure and format required for a research proposal differs from university to university, there are four “essential ingredients” that commonly make up the structure of a research proposal:

• A rich introduction and background to the proposed research
• An initial literature review covering the existing research
• An overview of the proposed research methodology
• A discussion regarding the practicalities (project plans, timelines, etc.)

In the video below, we unpack each of these four sections, step by step.

Research Proposal Examples/Samples

In the video below, we provide a detailed walkthrough of two successful research proposals (Master’s and PhD-level), as well as our popular free proposal template.

Proposal Writing FAQs

How long should a research proposal be.

This varies tremendously, depending on the university, the field of study (e.g., social sciences vs natural sciences), and the level of the degree (e.g. undergraduate, Masters or PhD) – so it’s always best to check with your university what their specific requirements are before you start planning your proposal.

As a rough guide, a formal research proposal at Masters-level often ranges between 2000-3000 words, while a PhD-level proposal can be far more detailed, ranging from 5000-8000 words. In some cases, a rough outline of the topic is all that’s needed, while in other cases, universities expect a very detailed proposal that essentially forms the first three chapters of the dissertation or thesis.

The takeaway – be sure to check with your institution before you start writing.

How do I choose a topic for my research proposal?

Finding a good research topic is a process that involves multiple steps. We cover the topic ideation process in this video post.

How do I write a literature review for my proposal?

While you typically won’t need a comprehensive literature review at the proposal stage, you still need to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the key literature and are able to synthesise it. We explain the literature review process here.

How do I create a timeline and budget for my proposal?

We explain how to craft a project plan/timeline and budget in Research Proposal Bootcamp .

Which referencing format should I use in my research proposal?

The expectations and requirements regarding formatting and referencing vary from institution to institution. Therefore, you’ll need to check this information with your university.

What common proposal writing mistakes do I need to look out for?

We’ve create a video post about some of the most common mistakes students make when writing a proposal – you can access that here . If you’re short on time, here’s a quick summary:

• The research topic is too broad (or just poorly articulated).
• The research aims, objectives and questions don’t align.
• The research topic is not well justified.
• The study has a weak theoretical foundation.
• The research design is not well articulated well enough.
• Poor writing and sloppy presentation.
• Poor project planning and risk management.
• Not following the university’s specific criteria.

Key Takeaways & Additional Resources

As you write up your research proposal, remember the all-important core purpose:  to convince . Your research proposal needs to sell your study in terms of suitability and viability. So, focus on crafting a convincing narrative to ensure a strong proposal.

At the same time, pay close attention to your university’s requirements. While we’ve covered the essentials here, every institution has its own set of expectations and it’s essential that you follow these to maximise your chances of approval.

By the way, we’ve got plenty more resources to help you fast-track your research proposal. Here are some of our most popular resources to get you started:

• Proposal Writing 101 : A Introductory Webinar
• Research Proposal Bootcamp : The Ultimate Online Course
• Template : A basic template to help you craft your proposal

If you’re looking for 1-on-1 support with your research proposal, be sure to check out our private coaching service , where we hold your hand through the proposal development process (and the entire research journey), step by step.

Psst… there’s more!

This post is an extract from our bestselling Udemy Course, Research Proposal Bootcamp . If you want to work smart, you don't want to miss this .

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51 Comments

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Bundle of thanks to you for the research proposal guide it was really good and useful if it is possible please send me the sample of research proposal

You’re most welcome. We don’t have any research proposals that we can share (the students own the intellectual property), but you might find our research proposal template useful: https://gradcoach.com/research-proposal-template/

Cheruiyot Moses Kipyegon

Thanks alot. It was an eye opener that came timely enough before my imminent proposal defense. Thanks, again

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I am an undergraduate student (First Degree) preparing to write my project,this video and explanation had shed more light to me thanks for your efforts keep it up.

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Thank you. This is a great insight. I am a student preparing for a PhD program. I am requested to write my Research Proposal as part of what I am required to submit before my unconditional admission. I am grateful having listened to this video which will go a long way in helping me to actually choose a topic of interest and not just any topic as well as to narrow down the topic and be specific about it. I indeed need more of this especially as am trying to choose a topic suitable for a DBA am about embarking on. Thank you once more. The video is indeed helpful.

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I need any research proposal

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thank you for the video but i need a written example

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Your research proposal may be a part of your dissertation, submitted in advance, or submitted as a separate piece of work. You may also be required to write a research proposal as part of a grant application.

Whether or not you are required to submit a research proposal before your dissertation, it is good practice to summarise what you plan to do, and why, before you start as it will help to keep your research on track.

A research proposal is a document in which you outline the case for undertaking the research project, your dissertation or thesis, and present your plans for carrying out the work. 

It is needed to persuade supervisors, funders and other stakeholders of the value of the research and the likelihood that it will successfully be able to answer the research question(s). 

A typical research proposal contains:

An introduction outlining the topic and questions for investigation, as well as a brief literature review and theoretical framework.

A detailed strategy explaining what the research methods are, what data will be collected and how access to data sources will be obtained.

A realistic timetable for completion, showing key milestones and when they will be accomplished. You will be working to deadlines.

Discussion of logistical and ethical considerations.

Limitations of the proposed research.

An indicative bibliography of references consulted to date on the topic.

In addition, when a research proposal is made to a funding body or when plans for communication are not implicit in the project (e.g., when the research is undertaken for a dissertation), then it is usual to include a detailed budget and a description of the communication plans in the proposal.

Identifying your Topic

The first step in any research is to identify the topic of interest. Think about which areas have most interested you in your studies to date, and what you would most like to explore.

Then start to read around those subjects to narrow down the field of interest. Now is a good time to identify a possible supervisor and talk to them about whether they would be prepared to supervise you and help you narrow down your research topic.

As a general principle, it is better to research a narrow topic in more detail than a broad one in very little detail.

Start to write up your research proposal as you read around your subject.

Summarise the texts that you read and group ideas into themes as you go, not forgetting to reference very carefully. It is much easier to take irrelevant text and references out later than to add them in and remember where the ideas came from.

See our page: Academic Referencing for more on effective referencing.

Defining your Research Questions

Once you have identified your field of interest, you can then start to identify one or more research questions to answer. Again, a narrow question that you can research in detail is better than a broad one that you will not be able to cover in full.

Your research question(s) should be ones that have not been fully answered in previous research so that you are adding to the literature. However, you want your literature review to have at least something to report, so an area where there is already plenty of research is better than a completely new topic. You can always find a sector, study group, or other unique element that will make the research worthwhile, even if others have done similar studies before.

Thinking about your research topic, ask yourself it is that you actually want to find out?  Frame it as a question that you could ask somebody: good research questions often begin with asking words like who, what, when, where, why, how, and how much.  Once you have brainstormed several questions related to your topic, look at each one individually against the following checklist of considerations. 

Is the question interesting?

Is there a social or practical value in knowing the answer to this question?

Is the scope of the question specific enough that you would realistically be able to answer it within the limits (time and cost) of the project you are going to undertake?  If not, you may need to narrow down the focus even further.

Does the question suggest the kind of information you would need to answer it, and how you would go about getting that information?

Would it be feasible to get the information necessary to answer the question?

By the time you have finished developing your research question(s), they should be tight and carefully defined, including a clear idea of the sector or area of study, study population, and what someone will know after reading your research.

Choosing a Title

Once you have a topic, and research question(s), then you can decide on a title, which should broadly cover your research question(s) and summarise what you are going to do.

Working Title

It’s fine to change your title later on, or at least to tweak it, so consider this a working title for now.

Using your Supervisor

You can and should use your dissertation supervisor as a sounding board as you develop your thinking, although beware of bombarding them with enthusiastic and/or panicky emails.

It’s usually better to ask for a meeting to discuss your ideas, rather than trying to have a discussion by email.

Keep a note of ideas and questions, and then send a single email to your supervisor requesting an appointment, and setting out your broad thinking, preferably with your outline research questions.

Your supervisor will soon make clear whether they think your ideas are too broad for study and will hopefully help you to narrow them down.

Outline Methodology

Once you have defined your research questions, you need to set out broadly what you plan to do to answer them, and why.

Everything that you do should have a clear reason ‘I thought it might be fun’ is not considered good enough.

Your outline methodology should explain:

The broad approach that you plan to take and why, whether qualitative, quantitative, or a mixture of both (and if a mixture, use of the phrase ‘triangulation of results’ is useful to show that you understand that gaining the same results from different sources makes them more powerful);

Some idea of what exactly you plan to do within that approach: your study population, the experimental techniques that you’ll use, such as questionnaires, interviews, or both, again with good academic reasons for your choice;

Any weaknesses in your planned approach, and how you plan to overcome them;

How what you plan to do links back to your research questions and will help you to answer them;

How you will analyse the results, with good academic reasons for your selections.

This section is designed to show that you know what you’re going to do, and why. It will also serve to show whether you’re trying to do too much/too little, which your supervisor should point out to you at an early stage.

See our section on Research Methods for more about how you may go about conducting your research.

Ethical Approval

Any study involving human or animal subjects will need ethical approval, which will usually be from the university’s ethics committee.

There is likely to be a standard form to complete, which you may need to submit as part of your research proposal. Check the university’s requirements, and if necessary consult your supervisor about what to include.

An example ethical committee approval form may include questions such as:

A Word on Word Count

If you are submitting a grant application, or research proposal to a university, you will probably have a maximum word count or be given an acceptable word count range.

It’s important to stick to the word count. If the maximum is 2000 words, and you’ve written 500, you probably haven’t provided enough detail. On the other hand, if you’ve written twice as much as expected, then you’ll need to cut it down considerably.

A Final Word

Always check your university or grant-awarding body’s guidelines to make sure that you’ve included all the necessary information, and that this is in the required format.

It is extremely annoying to have something rejected, or have to rewrite it because of a formality like the font size.

See our study skills page: Assignment Finishing Touches for some general ideas about presentation and formatting your work.

Continue to: Writing a Methodology Research Methods

See Also: Writing a Literature Review Dissertation Results and Discussion Dissertation Conclusions and Extra Sections

• Academic Skills
• Reading, writing and referencing
• Referencing and research

Research proposals

How to write an effective proposal.

What's it for?

A research proposal explains the nature and extent of your planned or future research. It is written for an academic reader e.g. for your supervisor or an academic with a similar disciplinary background. By thinking through your entire research project from beginning to end, it may also highlight core issues with the feasibility of the project.

W hat's in it ?

There are some disciplinary differences regarding exactly what is included in the proposal. For example, disciplines such as Psychology may include a prominent hypothesis statement, others in the Social Sciences including Education, may expect a set of research questions that the study will answer. However, all research proposals should cover the four basic elements below.

• The research topic addresses a significant problem and, therefore, advances the state of knowledge in that field.
• Identification of an appropriate methodology and underlying theory to address the problem, including data collection methods and equipment (if required).
• Details of how the collected data will be analysed in such a way that useful conclusions can be drawn.
• An organised plan for any proposed work, including a timeframe.

Possible macro-structures

The structure of your research proposal will vary depending on the requirements of your discipline. Nevertheless, certain structural elements will be expected by your reader and these may be presented in the following order. Check with the Research Coordinator in your area for specific requirements.

Identifies the title of the project, your full name, the institution, department, and supervisor details. The title should be brief and descriptive and may use a colon (:) to separate the topic from the focus (i.e. Stormwater Harvesting: Managing the hazards of surface water pollution by run-off ).

Lists the sections of the Research Proposal (headings and indented sub-headings) and corresponding page numbers.

Outlines the essence of the research project. It describes the purpose and motivation for the study, the problem, the data collection methodology and analysis, significant results and implications of the research.

Provides background information for the research (i.e. the problem being addressed) and is typically structured from general information to narrow or focused ideas with your research question/s or hypotheses at the narrow end.

The Introduction should be about 10% of your proposal.

Imagine you are writing for a general reader rather than an expert audience. The Introduction includes a brief review of relevant literature or knowledge in the field, so that you are able to present a gap in existing knowledge and, therefore, the significance and originality of your research.

Finally, articulate the scope of your research (or what you will not be doing) to limit your task. Your research question/s should encapsulate the primary question/s you aim to solve.

Synthesises the literature in your field. Some disciplines will expect to see this in the Introduction but others will want it placed in this ‘stand-alone’ section (especially in more Humanities-based fields). Again, it could be structured from broad to narrow, so literature on the more general aspects of your topic could come first, narrowing down to published work on your particular area of interest. You might end this section by including a short summary of the main themes you have identified from the literature.

Includes a description and rationale for the methods of data collection and analysis, and the materials you will use in your research. Use subheadings if possible ( i.e. Data Collection, Data Analysis, Ethical Considerations etc.) and write with a future aspect, ( i.e. The research will initially examine water treatment processes in... )

Details any results that you may already have resulting from previous Honours or Masters’ research work, or perhaps from a pilot study. It is important to relate these results to the critical framework of your intended new research project.

Lists the stages of the research project in timeline, spreadsheet or tabular format, and the deadlines for completion of these stages or tasks. You should include any anticipated challenges to completion.

Outlines the proposed chapters of the thesis and the content of each chapter in several lines or a paragraph, including a Table of Contents.

Relates the expected outcomes of your research to the aims expressed in the Introduction so that the need for the study and the contribution to knowledge is clear.

Provides all the resources cited in your resource proposal using a referencing format favoured by your faculty or discipline. Do not list resources that are not directly referred to in your Proposal.

Writing the Research Proposal

How much should i write.

A research proposal is usually quite a bit longer than other written academic genres. In the Humanities, it could be around 10,000 words or even longer (excluding the Reference List); whereas those from more Science-oriented disciplines may be shorter.

What should I begin with?

Similar to other academic genres, writing the research proposal is a process. If you are proposing a ‘recycled’ topic that builds on previous assignments already written on the same topic, you might spend some time re-reading these. However, if you are starting a ‘fresh’ project you might consider two key questions:

• What am I really interested in finding out about my research topic?
• How am I going to do this in practice? Brainstorm responses to these questions under a strict time limit – say 30 minutes.

Then leave this ‘free-writing’ for at least 24 hours before reviewing it for a possible more polished second draft.

How should I approach the literature?

Reviewing the academic literature on your topic is one of the most critical stages of your research proposal. This section goes beyond a simple summary of everything written on a subject. Instead, it is a critical synthesis of materials that illuminates selected academic literature on your topic. Your coverage of the literature should reflect the argument or perspective that you have set out in your research question/s.

Try the following techniques for dealing with the literature:

• Develop a theme or series of themes from your broad reading, referencing the work of relevant authors who support your position or who provide counter-arguments against your point/s.
• Limit excessive quoting. Too many direct quotations will dilute your authority over the topic.
• Avoid beginning paragraphs with “Jones argues …”; “Smith states …” This approach risks losing a sense of your writer’s authority to the work of others. Instead, provide an overview of the paragraph in a topic sentence written in your own writer’s voice.

Adapted from Rudestam and Newton (2015) as cited in Paltridge and Starfield (2020). Thesis and dissertation writing in a second language: A handbook for students and their advisers. Routledge.

Tips for writing

• Avoid language that is overly hesitant or tentative (i.e. ‘It seems that…’, ‘It is hoped that …’). Instead, use confident language when you feel able to (i.e. ‘It is clear that…’, ‘I assert that …’).
• Break up large blocks of text into smaller sections using sub-headings and bullet-points.
• Anticipate possible problems with, or limitations of, your research. Address these issues directly for your own benefit as well as to improve the entire proposal.
• Make your proposal is easy for readers to skim read. Never assume your readers will read your work in a ‘logical’ order. Use sub-headings and restate key ideas to guide the reader through your writing.
• Find copies of other Research Proposals in your field and study the way they:
• devise titles.
• structure their proposal.
• use discipline-specific language.
• Take a note of anything else you notice. You might ask your potential supervisor/s for models of previously submitted proposals or search for relevant examples online (look for examples from reputable .edu or .org. web addresses)

Remember, your research proposal should demonstrate:

• the feasibility and logical foundations of your project
• a well-focussed research question, set of research objectives, or hypothesis
• the width and depth of the academic literature on your topic
• understanding of current issues or debates on your topic
• justification of your project through the literature
• a match between the methodology and / or methods and your research question/s

Adapted from Cadman (2002) as cited in Paltridge, B. and Starfield, S. (2020). Thesis and dissertation writing in a second language: A handbook for students and their advisers. Routledge.

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Research Methodology and Scientific Writing pp 169–198 Cite as

Planning and Writing a Research Proposal

• C. George Thomas 2  
• First Online: 25 February 2021

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Research is a costly venture. In a research organization inclusive of university and college departments, funds for research are released only after careful scrutiny of the merit of the proposed work. A formal research proposal and its approval are also necessary for thesis works of students. In addition to the in-house funds of the organization, scientists may get funds from external agencies—both national and international. Fortunately, there are several funding agencies to promote research and development in specified areas, usually on project mode, by providing grants to individuals and groups. Therefore, instead of waiting for the meagre resources of parent institutions, scientists can approach a suitable external agency for financing research projects. Your success in obtaining a research grant means that you and your institution are benefited in various ways.

Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning . Thomas Alva Edison (1847–1931)

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Top 12 Proposal Writer Skills to Put on Your Resume

Crafting compelling proposals is an art that requires a unique set of skills to persuade and captivate your target audience. In this article, we'll explore the top 12 skills every proposal writer should highlight on their resume to stand out in this competitive field.

Proposal Writer Skills

• Microsoft Word
• Adobe InDesign
• Project Management
• Google Docs
• CRM Software
• Data Visualization
• Collaboration
• Proofreading

1. Persuasion

Persuasion, in the context of a Proposal Writer, involves strategically crafting a document to convincingly present an idea, project, or solution in a way that appeals to and influences the decision-making of the target audience or stakeholders, aiming to secure their support, agreement, or funding.

Why It's Important

Persuasion is crucial for a Proposal Writer as it enables them to effectively convince potential clients or funders of the value and necessity of their project or idea, securing support, resources, or funding.

How to Improve Persuasion Skills

Improving persuasion, especially for a Proposal Writer, involves refining communication skills, understanding the audience, and structuring proposals effectively. Here are concise steps with relevant resources:

Understand Your Audience : Tailor your message to address the specific needs, pain points, and interests of your audience. Harvard Business Review offers insights on persuading challenging audiences.

Clear Value Proposition : Clearly articulate the benefits and value your proposal brings to the table. This Forbes article provides strategies for creating a compelling value proposition.

Use Evidence and Data : Support your proposals with relevant data, statistics, and case studies to build credibility. The Purdue Online Writing Lab offers guidelines on using statistical evidence effectively.

Storytelling : Incorporate storytelling to connect on an emotional level, making your proposal more memorable and impactful. TED Talks on storytelling can inspire and guide you on how to weave narratives into your proposals.

Simplicity and Clarity : Communicate your ideas clearly and avoid jargon to ensure your proposal is understandable. Grammarly’s blog provides tips on achieving clarity in writing.

Revise and Feedback : Always review and revise your proposal based on feedback from peers or mentors. Tools like Peergrade facilitate receiving constructive feedback.

Practice Persuasive Writing Techniques : Familiarize yourself with rhetorical strategies such as ethos, pathos, and logos. The University of Maryland’s guide to paragraph structure and cohesion can refine your persuasive writing skills.

By integrating these strategies and continuously seeking feedback, a Proposal Writer can significantly enhance their persuasive abilities.

How to Display Persuasion Skills on Your Resume

2. Research

Research, in the context of a Proposal Writer, involves systematically gathering and analyzing information to understand a problem or topic, identify needs, and develop evidence-based solutions or arguments to support funding requests or project proposals.

Research is crucial for a Proposal Writer as it ensures the proposal is informed, credible, and tailored to address the specific needs and criteria of the funding body, thereby significantly increasing the chances of securing support.

How to Improve Research Skills

Improving research, especially for a Proposal Writer, involves focusing on clarity, precision, and relevance. Here are concise steps to enhance your research skills:

Define Your Objectives : Clearly articulate the goals of your proposal. This ensures your research is targeted and relevant. Mindtools offers techniques for setting clear objectives.

Use Credible Sources : Prioritize information from reputable journals, books, and organizations. Google Scholar and JSTOR are excellent starting points for scholarly articles.

Organize Your Findings : Use tools like Mendeley or Zotero to manage your references and keep your research organized.

Analyze and Synthesize Information : Critically evaluate your sources and synthesize information to draw conclusions relevant to your proposal. Purdue OWL provides guidance on conducting research and evaluating sources.

Keep Up-to-Date : Stay informed about the latest developments in your field by subscribing to relevant journals, newsletters, and professional networks. ResearchGate is a platform to connect with other researchers and stay updated.

Seek Feedback : Before finalizing your proposal, get feedback from peers or mentors. This can provide new insights and highlight areas for improvement. LinkedIn is useful for networking and finding mentors in your field.

By following these steps and leveraging the recommended resources, you can significantly improve the quality and impact of your research.

How to Display Research Skills on Your Resume

3. Analysis

Analysis, in the context of a Proposal Writer, refers to the systematic examination and evaluation of data or information, by breaking it into its component parts to understand its structure, meaning, or relationships. This process helps in identifying the needs, determining solutions, and crafting persuasive proposals.

Analysis is crucial for a Proposal Writer because it enables the identification of key project requirements, ensures alignment with the objectives and priorities of the funding source, and facilitates the development of a compelling, evidence-based argument that increases the likelihood of proposal approval.

How to Improve Analysis Skills

Improving analysis skills, especially for a Proposal Writer, involves enhancing your ability to understand and interpret data, texts, and project requirements. Here are concise steps with relevant resources:

Understand the RFP : Start by thoroughly reading the request for proposal (RFP) to grasp the project's goals and requirements. Creating Winning Proposal outlines strategies for analyzing and responding to RFPs.

Research Skills : Enhance your research abilities to gather relevant data and benchmarks. Use Google Scholar for academic and industry-specific insights.

Critical Thinking : Develop critical thinking to evaluate information effectively. MindTools offers techniques for improving this skill.

Data Analysis : Learn basic data analysis to interpret figures and trends. Khan Academy provides free resources on statistics and probability.

Feedback and Revision : Use feedback constructively and revise your analysis accordingly. Harvard Business Review discusses the art of giving and receiving feedback.

Writing Skills : Polish your writing to present your analysis clearly and persuasively. Purdue OWL is an excellent resource for writing guidelines and tips.

Stay Updated : Keep abreast of industry trends and standards by following relevant publications and websites. Feedly is a useful tool for aggregating content from your favorite sources.

Following these steps and utilizing the linked resources will significantly improve your analysis skills as a Proposal Writer.

How to Display Analysis Skills on Your Resume

4. Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is a word processing software used for creating, editing, and formatting text documents, widely utilized by proposal writers for drafting, revising, and finalizing proposals.

Microsoft Word is essential for Proposal Writers as it provides comprehensive tools for creating, editing, and formatting professional and persuasive documents, facilitating collaboration, and ensuring consistency in proposals.

How to Improve Microsoft Word Skills

To enhance Microsoft Word for a Proposal Writer:

Template Integration: Develop and integrate a vast library of customizable proposal templates directly within Word for efficiency. Template Library

Dynamic Content Library: Create a feature to seamlessly insert pre-approved content (text, graphics) from an external dynamic content library, ensuring consistency. Content Controls

Collaboration Tools Enhancement: Improve real-time collaboration tools, with better version control and comment tracking for external links. Collaborate in Word

Advanced Link Management: Implement a feature for managing and verifying the integrity of external links, ensuring they remain valid and accessible. Link Management

Enhanced Security Features: Strengthen security measures for sharing sensitive proposals, including password protection and encryption. Protect Documents

Automated Reference Manager: Integrate a more robust reference manager for automating citations and bibliography, tailored for proposal writers. Manage Sources

Feedback Loop Integration: Facilitate a direct feedback loop within the document from stakeholders, with the ability to accept or reject changes on-the-go. Track Changes

By focusing on these areas, Microsoft Word can be significantly improved to meet the specific needs of Proposal Writers, enhancing their productivity and proposal quality.

How to Display Microsoft Word Skills on Your Resume

5. Adobe InDesign

Adobe InDesign is a professional desktop publishing software used by proposal writers to create, design, and layout documents such as proposals, brochures, and reports, offering precise control over typography, page design, and multimedia integration.

Adobe InDesign is essential for a Proposal Writer because it provides sophisticated tools for creating, designing, and publishing high-quality, visually compelling documents, enabling the effective communication of proposals with professional layouts and typography.

How to Improve Adobe InDesign Skills

To enhance Adobe InDesign for a Proposal Writer, focus on these concise strategies:

Learn Key Shortcuts : Mastering keyboard shortcuts can significantly speed up your workflow. Adobe offers a comprehensive list to improve efficiency.

Utilize Templates : Start with professionally designed templates to save time. Adobe Stock provides a variety of InDesign templates suitable for various proposal types.

Incorporate Data Merge : Automate the insertion of text and images from an external data source, streamlining the creation of personalized proposals. Adobe's guide on Data Merge offers step-by-step instructions.

Optimize for Accessibility : Ensure your proposals are accessible to everyone by following Adobe's tips on creating accessible PDFs from InDesign.

Explore GREP Styles : Automate formatting specific text patterns using GREP styles, making it easier to apply consistent styles across your proposal. Here's a primer on using GREP styles in InDesign.

Interactive Elements : Make your proposals stand out by adding interactive elements like hyperlinks, buttons, and videos. Adobe provides instructions on creating interactive documents.

Regularly Update Software : Stay up-to-date with the latest version of InDesign to access new features and improvements. Check Adobe's InDesign User Guide for the latest updates.

By implementing these strategies, Proposal Writers can significantly improve their efficiency and effectiveness in Adobe InDesign.

How to Display Adobe InDesign Skills on Your Resume

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of enhancing a website's visibility in search engine results to increase organic traffic, aiming to improve the site's ranking for relevant keywords and phrases.

SEO is essential for a Proposal Writer because it helps ensure their content is easily discoverable online, increasing visibility to potential clients and enhancing the chances of winning bids by reaching a wider audience.

How to Improve SEO Skills

Improving SEO involves optimizing website content and structure to increase visibility in search engine results. For a Proposal Writer, consider the following concise strategies:

Keyword Optimization : Identify and integrate relevant keywords throughout your content, especially in titles, headings, and the first paragraph. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner for research.

Quality Content : Create valuable, unique content that addresses your audience's needs. Regular updates can also improve rankings. Refer to Google’s content guidelines for best practices.

Mobile Optimization : Ensure your website is mobile-friendly. Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test can help you assess and improve.

Page Speed : Improve loading times for better user experience and rankings. Tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights provide performance analysis and recommendations.

Backlinks : Gain quality backlinks from reputable sites within your industry. This enhances your site's credibility and search ranking.

Meta Descriptions and Title Tags : Write compelling meta descriptions and title tags that include relevant keywords. They should accurately describe the content of each page.

URL Structure : Use clear, descriptive URLs with keywords. This improves user experience and SEO.

Social Media Engagement : Promote your content on social media to drive traffic and improve search visibility.

By implementing these strategies, a Proposal Writer can enhance their website's SEO, attracting more visitors and potentially increasing conversion rates.

How to Display SEO Skills on Your Resume

7. Project Management

Project management is the process of planning, organizing, and overseeing the successful completion of specific project objectives or tasks, ensuring they are delivered on time, within budget, and to the desired quality standards. For a Proposal Writer, it involves coordinating the development, writing, and submission of proposals to meet deadlines and align with the client's requirements and project goals.

Project Management is crucial for a Proposal Writer as it ensures efficient organization and timely delivery of high-quality proposals, aligning resources, objectives, and deadlines to meet client expectations and secure project wins.

How to Improve Project Management Skills

Improving Project Management, especially for a Proposal Writer, involves enhancing planning, organization, and communication. Here are concise strategies:

Define Clear Objectives :Start by setting clear, achievable goals for each project. Understanding what success looks like from the outset guides focus and decision-making ( MindTools ).

Utilize Project Management Tools :Employ project management software (e.g., Trello, Asana) to track deadlines, assign tasks, and monitor progress efficiently (Capterra).

Enhance Communication :Maintain regular, open communication channels with all stakeholders to ensure alignment and address issues promptly (ProjectManagement.com).

Implement a Review and Feedback Loop :Incorporate periodic reviews to assess progress and gather feedback, allowing for timely adjustments (PMI).

Continual Learning and Improvement :Invest in ongoing training and professional development to keep up with best practices in project management and proposal writing ( APMP ).

Adopting these strategies can significantly enhance your capabilities in managing projects effectively.

How to Display Project Management Skills on Your Resume

8. Google Docs

Google Docs is a web-based word processing application that enables proposal writers to create, edit, and collaborate on documents in real time from any device with internet access.

Google Docs is essential for a Proposal Writer because it provides real-time collaboration, version control, and accessibility from any device, streamlining the proposal writing and review process.

How to Improve Google Docs Skills

Improving Google Docs for a Proposal Writer involves enhancing collaboration, organization, and formatting capabilities. Here are concise recommendations:

Real-Time Collaboration Enhancement : Integrate more robust version control and comment tracking features. This will help in managing contributions and feedback from multiple stakeholders efficiently. Google Docs Help

Advanced Template Library : Develop a comprehensive template library specific to various types of proposals. This will save time and ensure consistency across documents. Google Docs Templates

Dynamic Content Integration : Enable seamless integration with data sources (e.g., Google Sheets) for real-time data updates in documents. This feature would be invaluable for including up-to-date statistics and figures in proposals. Linking Google Sheets to Docs

Enhanced Formatting Tools : Implement advanced formatting tools for more sophisticated document styling, including better control over text styles, page layout, and interactive elements. Docs Editors Help

Improved Export Options : Offer more flexible export options (e.g., to PDF, Word) with customizable settings for layout, comments, and revisions. This will facilitate smoother document sharing and printing. Download & Export to Other File Types

Security and Access Control : Strengthen document security by providing more granular access controls and permissions, including temporary access and view-only links without sign-in requirements. Share files from Google Drive

External Link Management : Implement a feature for managing and verifying the integrity of external links in documents, ensuring all referenced material is accessible and up to date.

For Proposal Writers, these improvements will streamline the writing process, enhance document quality, and facilitate better collaboration with stakeholders.

How to Display Google Docs Skills on Your Resume

9. CRM Software

CRM software is a tool designed to manage a company's interactions with current and potential customers by organizing, automating, and synchronizing sales, marketing, customer service, and technical support processes.

CRM software is crucial for organizing client information, tracking interactions, and managing relationships, enabling Proposal Writers to tailor communications, respond promptly to opportunities, and increase proposal success rates.

How to Improve CRM Software Skills

Improving CRM software involves enhancing its functionality, user experience, and integration capabilities to better meet the needs of businesses and their customers. Here are concise strategies tailored for a Proposal Writer:

User Experience Enhancement : Focus on creating a more intuitive and user-friendly interface. Simplify navigation and ensure that key features are easily accessible. Consider feedback from users to identify areas for improvement. Nielsen Norman Group offers guidelines on usability that can be applied to CRM software design.

Customization and Flexibility : Allow users to customize dashboards, reports, and workflows to fit their specific business processes. This can lead to increased adoption rates. Salesforce provides customization options that can serve as a good model.

Integration Capabilities : Enhance the software’s ability to integrate smoothly with other tools and platforms, such as email, social media, and ERP systems. This ensures a seamless flow of information across tools. Zapier’s integration solutions can be a benchmark for effective integration.

Mobile Optimization : Ensure the CRM is fully functional and optimized for mobile devices, enabling users to access and update information on the go. HubSpot’s mobile CRM features highlight the importance of mobile accessibility.

Data Analysis and Reporting Features : Improve data analysis and reporting capabilities to offer deeper insights into customer behavior and sales trends. Incorporate advanced analytics and AI for predictive analysis. IBM’s Watson Analytics provides an example of leveraging AI for data insights.

Security Enhancements : Strengthen security measures to protect sensitive customer data. This includes implementing advanced encryption, secure authentication methods, and regular security audits. The ISO/IEC 27001 standard is a key reference for information security management.

Training and Support : Provide comprehensive training materials and responsive customer support to assist users in maximizing the software’s potential. Offering online tutorials, webinars, and a knowledge base can significantly improve user competence and satisfaction. Zendesk’s support and training resources are exemplary.

Implementing these improvements requires a thorough understanding of your current CRM software’s capabilities and limitations, as well as the specific needs of your users. Tailoring enhancements to address these needs directly can significantly increase the value and effectiveness of your CRM system.

How to Display CRM Software Skills on Your Resume

10. Data Visualization

Data visualization is the graphical representation of information and data, using visual elements like charts, graphs, and maps to simplify complex information and enhance understanding for decision-making.

Data visualization is crucial as it transforms complex data into clear, engaging visual formats, enabling Proposal Writers to effectively communicate insights, support arguments, and persuade stakeholders with evidence-based narratives.

How to Improve Data Visualization Skills

Improving data visualization involves several key strategies aimed at enhancing the clarity, impact, and accessibility of visual data representations. For a Proposal Writer, the goal is to convey complex data in a straightforward, compelling manner to support arguments and persuade stakeholders. Here are concise tips to improve data visualization:

Simplify and Focus : Concentrate on the main message. Remove unnecessary clutter and use clear, simple visuals. Edward Tufte's principles on data-ink ratio and chartjunk minimization are seminal in this area.

Choose the Right Chart Type : Match the visualization type with the data's nature and the story you want to tell. Data-to-Viz offers a decision tree to help select the most appropriate chart type.

Use Color Effectively : Utilize color to highlight important information or differentiate data groups, but avoid overuse. ColorBrewer provides color scheme guidance for maps and charts.

Make it Accessible : Ensure your visualizations are accessible to everyone, including those with visual impairments. WebAIM offers guidelines for making data tables accessible.

Annotate and Label Clearly : Use labels and annotations to guide the reader through the data. Make sure every axis, line, and data point is clear and understandable.

Tell a Story : Structure your visualization to lead the viewer on a journey through the data, highlighting key points and conclusions. Storytelling with Data by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic provides excellent guidance on using data visualization to tell compelling stories.

Leverage Software Tools : Utilize data visualization tools and software for professional results. Tools like Tableau , Power BI , and D3.js offer powerful capabilities for creating dynamic and interactive visualizations.

Iterate and Get Feedback : Share your visualizations with others, gather feedback, and continuously refine your approach. Collaboration can reveal insights and improvements you might have missed.

By following these guidelines, Proposal Writers can significantly enhance the effectiveness of their data visualizations, making their proposals more persuasive and engaging.

How to Display Data Visualization Skills on Your Resume

11. Collaboration

Collaboration, in the context of a Proposal Writer, refers to the process of working jointly with team members, subject matter experts, and stakeholders to gather information, insights, and feedback in order to create, refine, and deliver a comprehensive and competitive proposal.

Collaboration is crucial for a Proposal Writer as it enables the integration of diverse expertise and perspectives, ensuring the creation of comprehensive, compelling, and high-quality proposals that effectively address client needs and stand out in competitive bidding processes.

How to Improve Collaboration Skills

Improving collaboration, particularly for a Proposal Writer, involves fostering clear communication, leveraging technology, and promoting a culture of teamwork. Here are concise strategies:

Utilize Collaboration Tools : Adopt tools like Google Docs for real-time editing and Trello or Asana for project management to streamline workflows and keep team members aligned.

Effective Communication Channels : Establish clear communication channels using platforms like Slack for instant messaging and Zoom for video conferencing to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Set Clear Roles and Deadlines : Clarify each team member's role and responsibilities using a tool like Smartsheet to define tasks and deadlines, ensuring accountability and progress tracking.

Encourage Feedback and Collaboration : Create a culture that welcomes feedback and ideas. Tools like Miro can be used for brainstorming sessions, making it easier for team members to contribute creatively and constructively.

Document and Share Knowledge : Implement a system for documenting processes and insights, using a knowledge base tool like Confluence to ensure valuable information is accessible to all team members.

By integrating these strategies and tools, a Proposal Writer can significantly enhance collaboration within their team, leading to more effective and efficient proposal development processes.

How to Display Collaboration Skills on Your Resume

12. Proofreading

Proofreading, in the context of a Proposal Writer, involves meticulously reviewing a proposal document to identify and correct any errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting to ensure accuracy, clarity, and professionalism before submission.

Proofreading is crucial for a Proposal Writer as it ensures accuracy, clarity, and professionalism, significantly enhancing the proposal's credibility and the likelihood of securing funding or approval.

How to Improve Proofreading Skills

Improving proofreading skills, especially for a Proposal Writer, involves a focused approach to enhance accuracy, coherence, and effectiveness in written communication. Here are concise steps:

Read Aloud : Reading your text aloud helps catch errors that you might overlook when reading silently. It forces you to slow down and pay attention to every word.

Use Tools : Leverage proofreading tools like Grammarly or the Hemingway App for grammar and style suggestions.

Take Breaks : Allow time between writing and proofreading. Fresh eyes catch more errors. A break can help you see your work from a new perspective.

Check Facts and Figures : Ensure all data, including those in external links, are accurate and current. Use authoritative sources for verification.

Focus on Structure : Review your proposal’s structure for logical flow. Ensure that each section naturally leads to the next.

Peer Review : Have a colleague or another professional review your work. They can offer valuable feedback and catch mistakes you might have missed.

Read Backwards : For a meticulous line-by-line check, read your text backwards. This technique helps focus on individual words and punctuation rather than the content flow.

Attend Workshops : Participate in writing and proofreading workshops. Websites like Coursera and LinkedIn Learning offer relevant courses.

Practice Regularly : Like any skill, regular practice improves proofreading abilities. Dedicate time to write and review texts beyond your professional work.

Keep Learning : Stay updated with the latest writing and proofreading trends. Resources like The Chicago Manual of Style provide valuable guidelines.

By systematically applying these strategies, a Proposal Writer can significantly enhance their proofreading skills, leading to more compelling and error-free proposals.

How to Display Proofreading Skills on Your Resume

Related Career Skills

• Proposal Manager
• Proposal Coordinator
• Proposal Specialist
• Proposal Engineer
• Writer Editor

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• v.60(9); 2016 Sep

How to write a research proposal?

Department of Anaesthesiology, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Devika Rani Duggappa

Writing the proposal of a research work in the present era is a challenging task due to the constantly evolving trends in the qualitative research design and the need to incorporate medical advances into the methodology. The proposal is a detailed plan or ‘blueprint’ for the intended study, and once it is completed, the research project should flow smoothly. Even today, many of the proposals at post-graduate evaluation committees and application proposals for funding are substandard. A search was conducted with keywords such as research proposal, writing proposal and qualitative using search engines, namely, PubMed and Google Scholar, and an attempt has been made to provide broad guidelines for writing a scientifically appropriate research proposal.

INTRODUCTION

A clean, well-thought-out proposal forms the backbone for the research itself and hence becomes the most important step in the process of conduct of research.[ 1 ] The objective of preparing a research proposal would be to obtain approvals from various committees including ethics committee [details under ‘Research methodology II’ section [ Table 1 ] in this issue of IJA) and to request for grants. However, there are very few universally accepted guidelines for preparation of a good quality research proposal. A search was performed with keywords such as research proposal, funding, qualitative and writing proposals using search engines, namely, PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus.

Five ‘C’s while writing a literature review

BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

A proposal needs to show how your work fits into what is already known about the topic and what new paradigm will it add to the literature, while specifying the question that the research will answer, establishing its significance, and the implications of the answer.[ 2 ] The proposal must be capable of convincing the evaluation committee about the credibility, achievability, practicality and reproducibility (repeatability) of the research design.[ 3 ] Four categories of audience with different expectations may be present in the evaluation committees, namely academic colleagues, policy-makers, practitioners and lay audiences who evaluate the research proposal. Tips for preparation of a good research proposal include; ‘be practical, be persuasive, make broader links, aim for crystal clarity and plan before you write’. A researcher must be balanced, with a realistic understanding of what can be achieved. Being persuasive implies that researcher must be able to convince other researchers, research funding agencies, educational institutions and supervisors that the research is worth getting approval. The aim of the researcher should be clearly stated in simple language that describes the research in a way that non-specialists can comprehend, without use of jargons. The proposal must not only demonstrate that it is based on an intelligent understanding of the existing literature but also show that the writer has thought about the time needed to conduct each stage of the research.[ 4 , 5 ]

CONTENTS OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

The contents or formats of a research proposal vary depending on the requirements of evaluation committee and are generally provided by the evaluation committee or the institution.

In general, a cover page should contain the (i) title of the proposal, (ii) name and affiliation of the researcher (principal investigator) and co-investigators, (iii) institutional affiliation (degree of the investigator and the name of institution where the study will be performed), details of contact such as phone numbers, E-mail id's and lines for signatures of investigators.

The main contents of the proposal may be presented under the following headings: (i) introduction, (ii) review of literature, (iii) aims and objectives, (iv) research design and methods, (v) ethical considerations, (vi) budget, (vii) appendices and (viii) citations.[ 4 ]

Introduction

It is also sometimes termed as ‘need for study’ or ‘abstract’. Introduction is an initial pitch of an idea; it sets the scene and puts the research in context.[ 6 ] The introduction should be designed to create interest in the reader about the topic and proposal. It should convey to the reader, what you want to do, what necessitates the study and your passion for the topic.[ 7 ] Some questions that can be used to assess the significance of the study are: (i) Who has an interest in the domain of inquiry? (ii) What do we already know about the topic? (iii) What has not been answered adequately in previous research and practice? (iv) How will this research add to knowledge, practice and policy in this area? Some of the evaluation committees, expect the last two questions, elaborated under a separate heading of ‘background and significance’.[ 8 ] Introduction should also contain the hypothesis behind the research design. If hypothesis cannot be constructed, the line of inquiry to be used in the research must be indicated.

Review of literature

It refers to all sources of scientific evidence pertaining to the topic in interest. In the present era of digitalisation and easy accessibility, there is an enormous amount of relevant data available, making it a challenge for the researcher to include all of it in his/her review.[ 9 ] It is crucial to structure this section intelligently so that the reader can grasp the argument related to your study in relation to that of other researchers, while still demonstrating to your readers that your work is original and innovative. It is preferable to summarise each article in a paragraph, highlighting the details pertinent to the topic of interest. The progression of review can move from the more general to the more focused studies, or a historical progression can be used to develop the story, without making it exhaustive.[ 1 ] Literature should include supporting data, disagreements and controversies. Five ‘C's may be kept in mind while writing a literature review[ 10 ] [ Table 1 ].

Aims and objectives

The research purpose (or goal or aim) gives a broad indication of what the researcher wishes to achieve in the research. The hypothesis to be tested can be the aim of the study. The objectives related to parameters or tools used to achieve the aim are generally categorised as primary and secondary objectives.

Research design and method

The objective here is to convince the reader that the overall research design and methods of analysis will correctly address the research problem and to impress upon the reader that the methodology/sources chosen are appropriate for the specific topic. It should be unmistakably tied to the specific aims of your study.

In this section, the methods and sources used to conduct the research must be discussed, including specific references to sites, databases, key texts or authors that will be indispensable to the project. There should be specific mention about the methodological approaches to be undertaken to gather information, about the techniques to be used to analyse it and about the tests of external validity to which researcher is committed.[ 10 , 11 ]

The components of this section include the following:[ 4 ]

Population and sample

Population refers to all the elements (individuals, objects or substances) that meet certain criteria for inclusion in a given universe,[ 12 ] and sample refers to subset of population which meets the inclusion criteria for enrolment into the study. The inclusion and exclusion criteria should be clearly defined. The details pertaining to sample size are discussed in the article “Sample size calculation: Basic priniciples” published in this issue of IJA.

Data collection

The researcher is expected to give a detailed account of the methodology adopted for collection of data, which include the time frame required for the research. The methodology should be tested for its validity and ensure that, in pursuit of achieving the results, the participant's life is not jeopardised. The author should anticipate and acknowledge any potential barrier and pitfall in carrying out the research design and explain plans to address them, thereby avoiding lacunae due to incomplete data collection. If the researcher is planning to acquire data through interviews or questionnaires, copy of the questions used for the same should be attached as an annexure with the proposal.

Rigor (soundness of the research)

This addresses the strength of the research with respect to its neutrality, consistency and applicability. Rigor must be reflected throughout the proposal.

It refers to the robustness of a research method against bias. The author should convey the measures taken to avoid bias, viz. blinding and randomisation, in an elaborate way, thus ensuring that the result obtained from the adopted method is purely as chance and not influenced by other confounding variables.

Consistency

Consistency considers whether the findings will be consistent if the inquiry was replicated with the same participants and in a similar context. This can be achieved by adopting standard and universally accepted methods and scales.

Applicability

Applicability refers to the degree to which the findings can be applied to different contexts and groups.[ 13 ]

Data analysis

This section deals with the reduction and reconstruction of data and its analysis including sample size calculation. The researcher is expected to explain the steps adopted for coding and sorting the data obtained. Various tests to be used to analyse the data for its robustness, significance should be clearly stated. Author should also mention the names of statistician and suitable software which will be used in due course of data analysis and their contribution to data analysis and sample calculation.[ 9 ]

Ethical considerations

Medical research introduces special moral and ethical problems that are not usually encountered by other researchers during data collection, and hence, the researcher should take special care in ensuring that ethical standards are met. Ethical considerations refer to the protection of the participants' rights (right to self-determination, right to privacy, right to autonomy and confidentiality, right to fair treatment and right to protection from discomfort and harm), obtaining informed consent and the institutional review process (ethical approval). The researcher needs to provide adequate information on each of these aspects.

Informed consent needs to be obtained from the participants (details discussed in further chapters), as well as the research site and the relevant authorities.

When the researcher prepares a research budget, he/she should predict and cost all aspects of the research and then add an additional allowance for unpredictable disasters, delays and rising costs. All items in the budget should be justified.

Appendices are documents that support the proposal and application. The appendices will be specific for each proposal but documents that are usually required include informed consent form, supporting documents, questionnaires, measurement tools and patient information of the study in layman's language.

As with any scholarly research paper, you must cite the sources you used in composing your proposal. Although the words ‘references and bibliography’ are different, they are used interchangeably. It refers to all references cited in the research proposal.

Successful, qualitative research proposals should communicate the researcher's knowledge of the field and method and convey the emergent nature of the qualitative design. The proposal should follow a discernible logic from the introduction to presentation of the appendices.

Financial support and sponsorship

Conflicts of interest.

There are no conflicts of interest.

5 Proposal Writing Skills for Cultivating Great Proposals in 2022

A research proposal is the work plan, the outline and the statement of intent describing what, why, how, where and when to do the research. It is essentially a roadmap that shows where a journey will start, how it will end and the method to use for getting there.

A proposal must be well-structured and easy to read. It must also contain only the relevant information for the proposed study. Here are five important skills essential to writing a great proposal.

Developing Most Important Proposal Writing Skills

1. research skills.

Students need to think about the areas that interested them most in their studies and make a decision about what they would like to explore more. This will involve doing research into peer-reviewed, current research in the specific area they choose. They need to establish whether there are any gaps in knowledge or areas where they could put forward new ideas or innovations.

It is easy for students to fall into a research trap where they waste valuable time by conducting too much preliminary research and not drilling down to the point where they can conduct deep research. Mentors or college seniors give students access to the research skills of professional writers with experience in writing research proposals. This can help students who are overwhelmed by the amount of work they need to do.

2. Communication skills

In a proposal, students need to express themselves in logical, precise language. The ability to express themselves in a clear, scientific manner is what potential supervisors expect to see. They may know that their work is important but they need to communicate the value of their ideas to a reviewer . Explaining the problem or need they want to address and why it needs solving will help to demonstrate their insight into the topic.

Another aspect of effective communication is to be able to methodically organize writing and to stick to the guidelines. The style, structure and other writing conventions depend on the field of discipline. Even grammatical and spelling errors can sidetrack a reviewer when assessing the quality and relevance of a research proposal.

3. Time management skills: Use professional writers

Students who study to get an education at college often find that writing a research proposal within a specific timeline is difficult. When students are having a rough time, they can use the confidential research proposal writing services in Canada offered by Ca.EduBirdie. This means they can pay someone to write a research proposal online. These services guarantee proposals are not only delivered on time to students trying to find the time to study but they are of the highest quality. It also gives students a research proposal example to follow in the future.

4. Critical thinking skills

Students will need to critically examine different methods for gathering and analyzing data related to their research problem and decide which ones to use. A good proposal will display evidence of their ability to evaluate and synthesize material and show the ability to combine vertical and lateral thinking.

For a research proposal to be compelling, it must reveal critical thinking about the topic that goes beyond what is already known. It may help to search for controversial or cutting-edge topics in the field to address and connect with the interests of other researchers. The proposal must indicate to the reader that the student has thought ahead and considered the potential outcomes and implications of the research.

5. Listening skills

Listening skills are very important as it is essential to take advice from supervisors and fellow researchers. This can offer the perspective the students need and help them to understand how to make improvements. When listening to others and obtaining feedback, there are various devices for students to use, such as a smart notebook where they can record and make a digital version of notes to review later.

A proposal outline can help a supervisor to give vital feedback to a student, such as a need to narrow down ideas if they are too broad. A supervisor could also point out whether the student is trying to do too much or too little.

Many different proposal writing skills are required if the writer wants to build a convincing case – research, communication, time-management, critical thinking and listening skills. It is necessary to identify a specific research area within the context of the discipline and provide compelling evidence of why it is worth exploring. The research project must offer a viable way to bring a new approach to address an existing problem.

Rajinder Singh

Fountainhead of Thehotskills - Web Design Inspiration & Immense Art - Leading Web Design Agency based in Chandigarh offering cutting-edge UX/UI consulting & design, custom build and SEO friendly web design & development, and, interactive digital product design services. View more posts

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6 Proposal Writing Skills to Improve in the Age of AI (With or Without ChatGPT)

Have you used  AI for proposal writing  yet? While tools like ChatGPT can whip up a speedy first draft, only you can take a proposal from boilerplate to shortlist-worthy.

That’s because you have what generative AI lacks: the ability to captivate, convince, and connect with clients on a human level . This unique expertise will remain invaluable— if you keep your skills sharp . ✍️

Here are 6 proposal writing skills to improve in the age of AI:

• Read between the lines of the RFP 
• Write the proposal in one voice (with SMEs)
• Put yourself in the client’s shoes
• Write catchy headings and subheadings
• Make your solution easy to understand
• Meet deadlines on time, every time

Top Skills a Proposal Writer Needs to Excel Today

AI can be a helpful tool for proposal writers, but the true art of creating a winning proposal goes beyond automated text generation. The key to standing out in this digital age lies in 6 proposal writing skills :

1. Research Skills: Read Between the Lines of the RFP

One of the most important  steps in proposal writing  is reviewing the entire RFP and making a list of formatting requirements, submission guidelines, and key insights about the client. While ChatGPT can generate a summary in seconds, the real magic happens when you read between the lines .

• What are the customer’s biggest pain points?
• What do the key decision makers care about most?
• Why is your solution the best choice—and where does your competition fall short?

Answering these questions upfront will help you personalize the proposal.

For example, you may identify that the client seems focused on ease of adoption because they don’t want to disrupt operations. In that case, you can emphasize training and support in your  win themes .

“Use the ‘Find and Replace’ test. Can you replace your name with your competitor’s name and it still holds true? You’re lacking differentiators. Can you replace the client’s name with one of their competitor’s names? You need to do more research and relationship building.”

How do you improve your research skills as a proposal writer?

With chatgpt.

Ask ChatGPT to analyze the RFP and generate a quick summary of what the customer seems focused on overall—based on the top features they’re looking for.

Without ChatGPT

When reading the RFP, use a different colour marker to highlight each time the client mentions a different feature. This will give you a colour-coded view of what their biggest focus appears to be.

2. Collaboration Skills: Write Effectively With SMEs

Writing proposals is rarely a one-person feat. You usually have many subject matter experts (SMEs) who contribute answers to the RFP, which can create a “ too many cooks in the kitchen” impression.

Despite being a product of many, it takes a skilled proposal writer to make the RFP response sound like it’s coming from one convincing voice. As Dragonfly Editorial explains, there are a few guidelines you can provide SMEs to help:

• Proposal messaging: Focus on what to say first. Make sure your SMEs are crystal clear on your win themes so they can channel that positioning in their responses.
• Brand voice guidelines: Next, focus on how to say it. Outline the appropriate tone you want to come across in your proposal by providing a clear description of how your voice should sound.
• Writing style: Determine the general style guide your organization should use (e.g. Associated Press Stylebook) and provide any in-house guidelines that might deviate from the standard.
• Level of detail: Give SMEs parameters for how long and in-depth their answers should be. You don’t want some sections to be over-the-top detailed while others are too surface-level.

How do you improve your collaboration skills as a proposal writer?

Run the final proposal through ChatGPT and prompt the tool with brand voice guidelines like: make this proposal sound more confident and exclusive, positive and inspiring, or considerate and simple.

Become a brand voice ambassador and show SMEs what a good RFP answer looks like in the first pass. Alternatively, you can hop on a call with them, record their answers, and polish their phrasing yourself.

3. Critical Thinking Skills: Put Yourself in the Client’s Shoes

Having customer empathy is essential for writing proposals. Yet, it’s one of those proposal writer skills that takes lots of practice. That’s because it requires picturing what a client’s life will look like before (and after) they’ve implemented your solution— when you don’t have a crystal ball . 🔮

One method that can help proposal writers do this is harnessing the StoryBrand approach . Similar to crafting a strong brand message, it involves creating a story arch in your proposal writing, like so:

• Make your customer the main character: Put their needs and interests at the center of the proposal.
• Use their pain points as the antagonist: Empathize with their struggles and frame their problems as a villain they need to vanquish in order to accomplish their goals.
• Be the guide, not the hero: As StoryBrand founder Donald Miller writes, “You’re not Luke Skywalker. You’re Yoda.” When introducing your company, angle it as “We’re here to help you, ” rather than “We’re here to save the day.”
• Give them a plan: Empower your prospect to take action. Yoda’s plan was to train Luke how to use the Force to defeat Darth Vader. For you, it might be a three-step system to bring in more leads.
• Provide a happy ending: Show your character the transformation that lies at the end of your plan by describing the benefits they can expect. How will their business (and lives) improve?

How do you improve your critical thinking skills as a proposal writer?

Have ChatGPT change every sentence to start with “we” or “our” to “you” or “your.” This simple shift will put the focus back on your client, making your proposal writing sound more empathetic.

Practice passing every feature in your proposal through the  So What? test . Always pause and ask yourself: what is the biggest benefit and why does it really matter to the client’s story?

4. Creativity Skills: Write Catchy Headings and Subheadings

Good proposal writers know that headings are important for the  structure of a proposal  because they act as signposts that help evaluators find information quickly. But great proposal writers know that headings can also be impactful statements that drive home your win themes.

What sounds more compelling? A vague heading such as Our Solution . Or a more descriptive heading, such as Stronger Security for Your Peace of Mind. The latter, of course.

So, take this  header tip from copywriters  the next time you edit a proposal. Only read the headers and ask yourself whether they each:

• Communicate a key benefit or pain point?
• Entice the evaluator to read more?
• Capture the main points of the body text?

If your answer is “no” to all of the above, your headers could use some tweaking.

That said, some RFPs will have strict heading requirements. If that’s the case, put your creative energy into the first sentence of each paragraph instead—don’t bury the lede.

“If you use an app like ChatGPT, try playing with it to get inspiration on how to write your proposals better. Let it know the style you wish to apply (professional, friendly, simple, short), what information to add, and which benefits to emphasize. It will give you plenty of ideas.”

How do you improve your creativity skills as a proposal writer?

ChatGPT is a great brainstorming tool. Paste a section of your proposal into ChatGPT and ask it to come up with 5 different headlines. Or, start with a basic headline and ask it to make it more powerful.

Focus on providing more details. Weave in stats and figures where you can. Make the heading actionable by starting with a verb. Or, add in  power words  to spark emotion.

5. Technical Writing Skills: Make Your Solution Easy to Understand

Like most proposal writers, you probably went into this profession because you have excellent written communication skills. However, what sets this job apart from other writing careers ( like copywriting or journalism ) is you must also be able to translate technical details into persuasive content.

That’s because your goal as a proposal writer is to inspire buy-in from the evaluator. And if they can’t grasp you’re solution, they’ll discard your proposal faster than you can say, “ What I meant was… “

To ensure your proposals are easy to understand, consider these three approaches:

• Remove unnecessary jargon: This is one of the most common mistakes in proposal writing . Unless your prospect is looking out for specific industry terms, use familiar language to describe your solution, spell out acronyms, or avoid jargon altogether.
• Simplify vocabulary and phrases: There’s no need to use the “fancy” version of a word to sound more professional—it confuses more than it sells. For example, instead of using the phrase “in light of the fact,” get straight to the point and say, “because.”
• Focus on impact over details: When explaining technical concepts, it’s often more effective to highlight the benefits rather than going into heavy detail about how every feature works. This helps the client see what makes your solution a worthwhile investment beyond your capabilities.

How do you improve this technical writing skill as a proposal writer?

Turn ChatGPT into a ruthless editor. Ask the AI tool to do a clean sweep of your proposal by replacing technical jargon with laymen’s terms and trimming word count where necessary.

Always read your proposals out loud to force your brain to process each sentence. Soon enough, you’ll get better at catching clunky phrases, awkward rhythms, and filler words.

6. Time Management Skills: Meet Deadlines On Time, Every Time

RFPs usually have tight deadlines. If you miss it, that’s it. The evaluator won’t review your submission. That’s why it is crucial for proposal writers to have good time management skills.

But meeting deadlines doesn’t always come easily—especially when the strongest coffee can’t help you overcome writer’s block. Thankfully, there are a few time management tricks that can help you write high-quality proposals under a time crunch:

• Remove distractions: We’re looking at you: smart phones, Slack, and email. When it’s time to write, put your phone in another room, mute your notifications, and sign out of your email. You can check them once you’ve hit your writing goal.
• Block time for proposal writing: Parkinson’s Law  says we fill the allotted time we give ourselves to complete a task. So, don’t give yourself more time than you really need. Instead, set strict, yet reasonable goals, like “Finish sections 1-5 before lunch” or “Complete first draft in X hours.”
• Eat the Frog: Coined by Mark Twain, the idea behind this concept is to set yourself up for success by getting the harder tasks over with first. For most proposal writers, this task is often the writing of the first draft. So, try to write first thing in the morning ( or when you have the most energy ).
• Choose progress over perfection: Perfectionism is a serious time waster. During the early stages of writing, do your best to let go of “perfect” and focus solely on getting words on the page. Once you get the bulk of your proposal written, you can refine until the deadline.

How do you improve your time management skills as a proposal writer?

Skip the blank page altogether. Give your outline to ChatGPT and have the tool generate a first draft for you in seconds. With the extra time, you can customize the proposal for the client instead.

Learn how to be okay with a messy first draft. Instead of waffling over words, practice writing a proposal as fast as you can without breaking your flow. It’s quicker to improve your writing later than edit as you go.

One More Piece of Advice for Proposal Writers ❣️

As you set out to improve proposal writer skills, remember that mastering this craft goes beyond putting words on the page. Proposal writers who learn how to write a bid proposal that stands out will thrive. Especially if they can harness the power of GPT technology while maintaining their unique human abilities.

In the meantime, remember this…

“If there are more senior members on your proposal team, take a look at their final proposals and drafts so you can study their process and style. Join professional forums, read columns, and never hesitate to ask other members of your team for some additional training.”

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