Research Proposal

How to write a research proposal

After successfully passing the courses, students are required to get ready for the research. It starts by designing and preparing a research proposal that show innovation in a specific domain and at the same time it must be realistic and practical.

The research proposal should have the following structure:

  1. Introduction/Background
  2. Research Problems
  3. Research Objectives
  4. Research Questions
  5. Research Hypotheses
  6. Research Methodology
  7. Related Materials
  8. References
  9. Appendices


  1. Introduction/Background
    This part includes a brief introduction about the topic and how it is important. It may also include a style of literature review (searching for and finding relevant literature; and analyzing/reviewing what has been found). Normally, the last paragraph of this section gives hints about the problem that is going to be consider within the proposal research. In other words, the last paragraph works as a bridge that serves as preface of the next section which is research problem.

  2. Research Problems
    The research problem is a general statement of why the research should be done. This is something that is not well-understood or solved and can be addressed by research. The fundamental questions could be as:

    ·       Why should anyone care about the outcome of this research?

    ·       Who would use the results of this research? and for what?

    ·       Why should anyone sponsor this research?


  3. Research Objectives
    These are statements of what is expected as the output of the research. Each of the objectives must be at least partially met at the end of the project. There is usually a single general objective which is not operational. This is broken down into a list of specific objectives which are then formulated as research questions, which are then operationalized as research methods.

  4. Research Questions
    This section must specify what the research will actually address. Each research question must be answered by the thesis, therefore it must be a specific question to which an answer can be given. Questions follow objectives and may be simple re-statements in operational form, i.e. where an experiment or sample can answer it.

  5. Research Hypotheses
    As a definition: It is an idea or suggestion that is based on known facts and is used as a basis for reasoning or further investigation (Hornby, Wehmeier, & Ashby, 1995). In the context of research, these are the researcher’s ideas on what the research will show, before it is carried out. They are statements that can be proved, dis-proved, or (most likely) modified by the research. They are based on previous work, usually discovered in the literature review. They should match the research questions one-to-one.

  6. Research Methodology
    Provides a discussion of the research strategy (general approach) to be adopted with appropriate justification including:
    •  detail of the implementation of the strategy in relation to the proposed research
    •  the technique(s) to be used including justifying appropriate technique(s) for the research strategy adopted.
    •  possible problems that may arise in administering the technique(s) along with identifying strategies to minimize the impact of any potential problems.

    Research may include a workflow that describe the methodology as shown in Figure 1. 


    Figure 1. Workflow process of proposed methodology.

  7. Related Materials
    This addresses the range of data that will be gathered from the research techniques and how this information will be used and analyzed. It also may include description of the study area, software and equipment and other needs that to be used and present in the research.


  8. References
    A list of references cited within the main text that supposed to be in APA style, for example:

    Grodecki, J., & Dial, G. (2001). IKONOS geometric accuracy. In P. o. I. J. W. H. R. M. f. Space” (Ed.), (pp. 19–21). Germany: University of Hannover.
    Hornby, A. S., Wehmeier, S., & Ashby, M. (1995). Oxford advanced learner's dictionary (Vol. 1428): Oxford university press Oxford.


  9. Appendices
    Any extra information (data or images) can be presented if they are available otherwise it could be ignored. 



Download the template of Research Proposal:
For more information visit the University of Zakho