This document provides guidance on writing a research proposal. It defines a research proposal as an introduction submitted to explain upcoming research details. It recommends picking a topic you enjoy that is relevant to your course of study. The document offers tips on writing proposals and restricts topics to those supported by published materials. It describes three common proposal formats: asking a question, outlining an experiment, or conducting in-depth research. Finally, it suggests focusing quality topics to achieve expected results and lists key points like being confident and using reliable sources.

1. RESEARCH
PROPOSAL
Writer: Nadia Ansari
Source: Academic Writing

2. Information
 What is a Research Proposal?
 Aims of a Research Proposal
 Tips & Guidelines for Writing Research
Proposal
 Some Restrictions
 Format of a Good Research Proposal
 Question
 Experiment
 In-depth Research
 Research Proposal Topics: A Short
Guideline
 Key Points to Remember While Writing a
Research Proposal

3. What is a Research Proposal?
 A research proposal is an introduction that is mostly submitted to
the supervisor in order to explain the details of upcoming research
design. Picking up a good research proposal topic is important if you
really wish to conduct valuable research. Finding a
good proposal topic is not that hard but surely a tricky deal.
 Remember, if you are engaged in higher education then sooner or
later you will be asked to submit proposal paper topic for
your academic research. Here are some research proposal ideas
and topics that will definitely direct you. So, have a look and go
ahead.

4. Tips & Guidelines for Writing Research
Proposal
If you are going through an academic research then you will
find most of your time spending on a research paper. So it
is better choice to select a proposal topic that you really
like and enjoy. Although it is not that simple but to make
your academic research a success, you should select a
strong and enjoyable topic. You can also consult our
article How to Write a Research Proposal? for more help
on drafting research proposals.

5. Tips & Guidelines for Writing Research
Proposal (Cont.)
While talking about research proposal topics and ideas, it is
important to note that the topic you are planning to select
for your research proposal should be relevant to the
course you are going through. Moreover, you must have
an idea how the specific topic you have selected will
produce an effect for policy change or any further
discovery. This will give strength to your research project.
Next step lies in writing a solid thesis statement.

6. Some Restrictions
It is important to understand that research proposals are not
very easy to develop. These require ample amount of time.
You may find a research proposal topic that you feel better
for your academic research but at the same time you find
few books and little knowledge available on the subject.
This may waste a lot of time and cause state of frustration.
Sometimes the topic you choose for your proposal does
not support the study. You may have lots of exciting ideas
in your mind but it is not essential that all these also

7. Some Restrictions (Cont.)
Many professors face the same issue especially those who
publish extensively. So, be confident and do not lose heart.
You can go with several other available topics.
Furthermore, it is wise to select three or four research
paper topics in the beginning that interest you. Go to
preliminary search through library or your computer.
Finally, select a topic that is supported with lot of published
material.

8. Format of a Good Research Proposal
There are several formats available as far as sample writing
research proposal is related. A researcher can select any
format based on the requirement of his study. A brief
description of the three widely adopted formats for
research proposal topics are described in Next Slides.

9. Question
Those research proposals dealing with academics are most
often written in this format. This format involves an idea
that contains a research question. For example “Does
social behavior affect the frequency of military intervention
in developing countries?” After creating question,
research proposal outline is developed involving the
sources that will help to answer this question.

10. Experiment
In this format of research proposal, special procedures are
figure out that can help carrying out an experiment to
analyze a hypothesis statement. For example “What
happens to the demand of gold and the demand of meat if
their prices rise?”

11. In-depth Research
This format involves wider study and techniques to explore a
topic in a broader context. Whether you choose Henrik
Ibsen’s Literary Achievements, Islamic Architecture or The
History of Brooklyn, you must go with detailed study of the
topic. In this research proposal format, researcher plans in
the proposal statement what he is planning to study and
what he will do with the outcomes.

12. Research Proposal Topics: A Short
Guideline
As already mentioned, research proposals are developed to make a
clear outlook of one’s intentions towards a research project.
Constituents of a good research proposal include aims of the
particular study, method that will be applied, clear hypothesis and
an outline of estimated outcomes. So, quality topics should be
focused to achieve expected results.
For example if you are planning to go
with psychology research proposal topics then you may work out
depression, aging, child abuse and adult attitude towards
coping strategies. As these topics are current day trend and
relevant to most of the societies all over the world. So, lot of
information is available both on and offline.

13. Research Proposal Topics: A Short Guideline
(Cont.)
Next to it, some economics or business related
research proposal topics and ideas include Consequence of
Communist Members on Wages, Environment VS. Businesses etc.
Medicine related research proposal questions that can be worked out
are,
1. Can Hepatitis B be transmitted from one another through oral route?
2. Does liver cancer has an association with hepatitis C virus?
Some other popular research project topics include reducing obesity,
increasing students’ participation in physical activities, decreasing
the prevalence of drugs, pollution, demand for electronic devices
etc.

14. Key Points to Remember While Writing a
Research Proposal
• Be conscious about the quality of your research topic
• Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the topic
• Be confident about the line of thought
• Always go for fact based, consistent and reliable resources
in your research proposal
• Topic selected must be relevant to the discipline

15. Related Links
 How to Write a Research Proposal?
 What is a Research Proposal?
 Scientific Research: Methods, Areas & Proposal Writing
 Social Research Proposal
 What is a Marketing Research Proposal?