Before you start working on your Master’s research project, you have to submit a research proposal unveiling your plans regarding the future writing and get it approved. Some students claim that composing this paper was harder for them than making research later. It is understandable because when you write a research proposal, you are mostly blank regarding the issue and need to gather and summarize information about it for the first time. The format can also be challenging. To help you deal with this assignment smoothly and efficiently, we offer you timely tips from our expert writers.

There are two types of this paper, and both have its challenges:

1. 2-3 page proposal. This type is mostly preliminary. Many professors want to know what you are going to write about even before you finish a classic long proposal. Someone might say that it is a waste of time and too much, but we are sure it is a right way. According to the latest SCRUM practices, it is much better to make changes while the minimum efforts were invested. Even if your professor doesn’t demand such brief overview from you, you can offer him or her to look through it to avoid further more dramatic changes.
2. Standard proposal. Includes a full outline of your future research and mostly consists of introduction, methodology and literature review. They might have slightly different names, but their meaning and content will stay the same. Let’s go through each of them separately.

Introduction

Don’t mix it with the introduction of a simple essay or an argumentative paper. Here you should give a much more detailed description of the topic under discussion. You might also note how you came up with this particular idea and with which areas of knowledge and science it is interconnected. You are not supposed to present a solid thesis statement in this part (and it is a relief), but you should give the idea regarding the direction of your thought. Don’t forget to state clearly why your research is important and how it contributes to the discipline or the disciplines you are studying.

Note! The more your topic is actualized, the less questions regarding the proposal’s formatting you will get.

Literature Review

In the academic world, it is crucially important to connect your work to the works of others. Even in the Middle Ages, the prominent scientists started their manuscripts addressing ideas and findings of other scientists. Without a literature review, your proposal is nothing more than a Facebook post with some bright ideas. Writing this part include these types of references you are going to use:

• research made by you previously;
• similar research projects made by others in academia;
• interconnecting references to the works from other disciplines.

Note! Your list should be balanced!

It means you can’t give 90% to one of the options. If the first option is not represented enough, it means you don’t have much background and knowledge regarding the issue. If you don’t pay much attention to the second type of references, your professor might assume you neglect to dig into the academic heritage. And if you don’t connect your topic to other disciplines it will look too narrow.

Methodology

You should be very careful with this part because mostly you are obligated to follow what you have promised here. You have to elaborate on the methodology you will use to get valid outcomes regarding the topic in question. To stay on the safe side it is better to make this part broader. We don’t encourage you to pour water here, as your professor will definitely not appreciate it, but it is better to mention several analytical options which might prove to be beneficial for your project.

Note! Don’t forget to state your plan on interpreting the received results.

When it comes to a research proposal, you should think with the end in mind. Don’t sacrifice your idea and the value of your project to make a proposal writing process faster and simpler. Pay attention to the details, but remember that it is a preliminary task which supports the major one and that any critique you get at this stage is advantageous for the success of the final project.